THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Interview conducted by Sophie Greuil, and translated by Anna White
Images courtesy of Nicolas Bigourdan
An underwater archaeologist uncovers both an unexpected French maritime influence in Australia, as well as a surprising and intimate family history
of sunlight falling on its immediate surroundings. And so, the positions and movements of a hunting predator in camouflage are rarely an accident or coincidental. More often than not, the predator’s every move is carefully calculated before execution, ensuring that it constantly blends in.
THE ART OF BLENDING IN
As it turns out, the crocodilefish we had seen was “background matching” as a form of disguise, using prominent structures in its vicinity to blend in. While being very much present, it remained almost entirely out of sight. To achieve such exceptional results these camouflaging predators need to pay close attention not just to the movement of sunlight but also the brightness, contrasts and patterns of objects they want to resemble.
Sometimes, animals can change the texture and contours of their body and masquerade as other plants and animals. A frogfish often convincingly fools us when it mimics a brightly coloured sponge or urchin. Their plump and irregular shape breaks up their fish-like outline, keeping them hidden in plain view despite their bright colours. As if this weren’t enough, many have a handy-looking “rod and lure” on their forehead. Unsuspecting prey that venture too close to the worm-like lure get swallowed before they even become aware of the presence of their predator.
Other predators come equipped with a kind of in-built camouflage toolkit, and can re-distribute, intensify or dilute pigments in their tissues to match their backgrounds