Camouflage Challenge!
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Seaside Crafts at Home -- Camouflage Challenge! Many marine animals have adapted to blend in, or camouflage, within their surroundings. The ability to blend in or hide in plain sight can help an animal avoid predators or sneak up on unsuspecting prey. In this challenge, you'll learn different ways an animal can blend into its habitat, and then create your own camouflage strategy! TYPES OF CAMOUFLAGE Blending in - The colors on an animal's body match its surroundings. Example: Bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus) are long, narrow, and greenish-yellow fish that live among lush seagrass beds. Seagrass is also long, narrow, and green allowing bay pipefish to blend in. Pattern - Markings like spots, stripes, or colors can make it hard to see the true shape of an animal's body. Example: Octopuses, like the red octopus (Octopus rubescens), have the incredible ability to change colors on their skin based on their surroundings to effortlessly camouflage into their habitat. Specialized skin cells called chromatophores allow the red octopus to change color instantly. Imagine each chromatophore cell as a stretchy sack filled with pigment (similar to a water balloon full of ink). When the muscles around the cell expand, more pigment is visible on the octopus’ skin; when the muscles contract, less pigment is visible. 1 Disguise - An animal can “hide in plain sight” by appearing to look like a different object that naturally occurs in the animal's habitat. Example: Decorator crabs (Loxorhynchus crispatus) are covered in velcro-like hairs, which allow them to attach “decorations” such as kelp and anemones all over their bodies. These decorations help the crabs blend into their surroundings and look like objects found in their habitats. Mimicry - Harmless animals can trick predators by resembling or looking like dangerous animals. The dangerous animals usually have strong warning signals such as bright colors that represent “danger” and “poison” that deter predators. Over many years, a few harmless animals have adapted to mimic these warning signals to ward off predators. Example: Graeffe's sea cucumber (Pearsonothuria graeffei) is found in the Indo-Pacific ocean. As a juvenile, it strongly resembles the toxic sea slug Phyllidia varicosa. Predators see the harmless sea cucumber, and may believe it is toxic. 2 Try It. Camouflage a Fish! Materials: ● Cardboard tube (an old toilet paper roll works best) ● Paint or markers ● Scissors ● Stapler, glue or tape ● Anything else you want to use for camouflage! Step 1: Flatten the cardboard tube. On one side of the tube, cut a rounded end to shape the fish’s head. Cut two slits at approximately a 45- degree angle at the opposite end of the tube to shape the tail. Step 2: Fold the cuts made at 45-degree angles inward to create the tail. Step 3: You now have a fish, and it needs camouflage! 3 Remember, there are multiple ways that an animal can camouflage. Now it is your turn to try a few of the camouflage techniques. Camouflage challenge #1: Pattern Use paint or markers to blend the fish into its surroundings. Experiment with blending the fish in with a piece of furniture, clothing, rug, or whatever you want! Try a solid color or a matching pattern. See how long you can leave the fish camouflaged before someone finds it. Make sure your fish is completely dry before placing it on any furniture or clothing! Camouflage challenge #2: Disguise Just like the decorator crabs, choose objects to attach to your fish to help it camouflage. One idea is to decorate your fish with grasses or leaves, but the decoration opportunities are endless! Attach decorations with a stapler, glue, or tape depending on the decoration. How hidden can the fish be, without changing its original color? Camouflage Challenge #3: Mimicry Make your fish look like a much scarier or more poisonous animal. This can be done by imitating an existing animal that is poisonous, or by using bright colors that mean “danger” in the animal kingdom. Some examples of brightly colored poisonous animals are banana slugs, poison dart frogs, and the monarch butterfly (pictured below). 4 .