So it's tough for fish to seem like part of the background. These patterns divide up the fish's body visually. From a distance, predators might not be able to tell that the fish is even a solid object. To a predator, a passing butterflyfish might look more like a chaotic jumble than a potential meal. These stripes make the fish's eyes much less visible.
Eyes seem to be important cues to other animals.
With coloring that obscures the eye, the fish looks less like a living thing. That's our show for today, made possible by the National Science Foundation. We're Block and Byrd for Earth and Sky.