The Conservation Report

The pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti) is so well camouflage that it was only just recently discovered, and “so extreme is this camouflage that the original specimens were only noticed after their host gorgonian had been collected and observed in an aquarium.” These tiny seahorses “are found only on gorgonians (sea fans) of the genus Muricella,” so they are specialists. No doubt, there may be more species of these little sea horses that remain undescribed.

Pygmy seahorses on National Geographic:

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See more animal camouflage here on The Conservation Report and at this Flickr group: The Camouflaged Creatures Pool.

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These octopuses are masters at camouflage. Not only can these intelligent creatures change color but also their shape.

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Nature is fascinating, and some of Nature’s best work—or evolution rather—is illustrated by a group of animals that have evolved adapted to mimic leaves. Leaf mimics employ a heightened form of camouflage to evade detection from predators or prey. These animals make use of extraordinary color patterns, in addition to modified exoskeletons, skin, scales, and behavior to take camouflage to another level.  See more animal camouflage here.

The “dying” leaf-mimic katydid below is a fascinating creature, and evolution natural selection has endowed it with the ability to mimic a dying leaf.

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Dead leaf butterflies are extraordinary creatures to observe up close.  The specimen below illustrates the intricate details chiseled out by adaptation through natural selection, which is a driving force of evolution.  The remarkable details help the butterfly evade predation by mimicking a dead leaf.

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The images and video below show various species of leaf mantis. Again, the detail and similarity to vegetation is fascinating.

Leaf Mantis at 04:45:

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Another leaf mimic katydid positions itself below.  This specimen mimics a decomposing leaf instead of a dying leaf.

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Can you find the leaf mimic frog?  Leaf mimicry isn’t exclusive to insects, since some vertebrates make use of this extreme form of camouflage.

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The South American or Amazon leaf fish (Monocirrhus polyacanthus) uses camouflage, mimicry, and stealth to hunt its prey.  It will often sit in the water column at varying angles or sideways mimicking a dead leaf (note the individuals in the background).  Its prey is quickly gulped into its hard to see large mouth.

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UPDATES (10 November 2008):

Phyllium sp.

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From LiveScience: Ancient insects used advanced camouflage:

A fossil of a leaf-imitating insect from 47 million years ago bears a striking resemblance to the mimickers of today.

The discovery represents the first fossil of a leaf insect (Eophyllium messelensis), and also shows that leaf imitation is an ancient and successful evolutionary strategy that has been conserved over a relatively long period of time.

Hat tip: Dear Kitty. Some blog

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Dead leaf insect

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UPDATES (13 November 2008):

Phyllium giganteum

Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys desiccata)

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UPDATES (14 November 2008):

Violin mantis subadult (Gongylus gongylodes)

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Image credits:

1. “Dying” leaf-mimic katydid image was found here and here.
2. Dead-leaf butterfly image was found here.
3. Leaf mantis images courtesy of c.cobb and baw31 on Flickr.
4. “Decaying” leaf-mimic katydid image (©Martin Shields) was found here and here.
5. The first two leaf-mimic frog images are by ©Wolf Holzmann and were found here and here.
6. The third leaf-mimic frog image is by Hank & Priscilla Brodkin and was found here.
7. Regarding the leaf fishes in the aquarium: South American leaf fish photo source for attribution. The author or licensor of this image does not endorse my work or me and their image is protected under an attribution license.
8. The image showing South American leaf fishes in someone’s hand was found here.
9. Phyllium sp. image by Sandilya Theuerkauf
10. Fossil leaf insect found here: The first fossil leaf insect: 47 million years of specialized cryptic morphology and behavior
11. Dead Leaf Insect image by Amaury Olivier Laporte was found here.
12. Phyllium giganteum image by Drägüs was found here.
13. The image above showing a dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys desiccata) camouflaged amongst some leaf litter was taken by Adrian Pingstone, and found here.
14. Violin mantis subadult was taken by Laurentiu on Picasa, and found here.

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Two Red Sea stonefish (Synanceia nana) are perfectly camouflaged against their aquatic habitat.

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The image above shows a dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys desiccata) camouflaged amongst some leaf litter. Image taken by Adrian Pingstone.

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A Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) waits well camouflaged amongst some leaf litter on a forest floor. This viper has the longest fangs of any venomous snake. It is native to various areas of Sub-Saharan Africa.

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The above images illustrate several species of freshwater fish from the Amazon River that mimic and utilize leaf litter for camouflage. The Amazon River is a unique network of aquatic ecosystems, and the great river contains some of the highest diversity of fish species anywhere in the world. A single trawl can produce dozens of fish species, and some may be undescribed by science. There are even several species of freshwater stingray and pufferfish. Currently agriculture, deforestation, human expansion, pollution, and runoff threaten the Amazon River’s diversity.

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On the Net: Fallen leaves on the water-bed: diurnal camouflage of three night active fish species in an Amazonian streamlet

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Uroplatus sikorae, a species of leaf-tailed gecko, illustrates a stunning example of animal camouflage. The genus Uroplatus is endemic to Madagascar. These geckos are nocturnal, and they can be found living on trees (arboreal) in both primary and secondary forests. Due to their extraordinary camouflage abilities, they are easily overlooked.

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Here is an animal camouflage exclusive showing the extraordinary cryptic abilities of the leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques). I picked the best images posted on Flickr with a creative commons license, which illustrate the fascinating morphology of these creatures. These captivating aquatic animals are cryptic specialists, and they are related to the seahorses and pipefishes.

If you think leafy sea dragons are facinating, then check out the weedy sea dragons and ghost pipefishes.

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A ghost pipefish floats cryptically upside down. Ghost pipefishes are relatives of pipefishes and seahorses. They are very ornate and showy like the weedy and leafy sea dragons.

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Can you see the pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus bargibanti)? This species of pygmy seahorse is a specialist and survives on gorgonian corals (Muricella plectana). H. bargibanti was the smallest known seahorse until H. denise or Denise’s pygmy seahorse was discovered.

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Can you find the burrowing owls? More about them here.

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A night gecko, Paroedura bastardi, camouflaged amongst a tree trunk.  Photograph taken near Bevia, southern Madagascar, by Buck Denton

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I forgot I had taken a few images of camouflaged creatures on my travels.

A grey day gecko, Phelsuma sp. (mutabilis?), camouflaged amongst a felled tree trunk. Photograph taken near Bevia, southern Madagascar, by Buck Denton

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The famous Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), camouflaged amongst a tree.

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Woodcock on a nest. Image by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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An angel shark (Squatina sp.) camouflaged against sand. As a genus, angel sharks are considered endangered, since historically they have been overfished.

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. Information on this image is found here.

See more Shark Week on The Conservation Report

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Tibicen plebejus camouflaged against a conifer.

This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons. The copyright holder of this work, has released the image into the public domain. Information on this image is found here.

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