Page 82 - Allah's Artistry in Colour

Spider crabs are remarkably diverse in size and
shape. They range from gigantic Japanese Spider
Crab, with metre-long legs, to the miniature coral-
reef species seen above. Their patterns blend re-
markably well will the poly-studded texture of
their hosts.

The members of the Sinanceidea species are
fish with relatively small and compact bod-
ies. They have no scales; instead their skins
are covered with wart like protuberances,
which perfectly camouflage the fish as they
rest upon the seabed waiting for prey.

One of the most curious and useful features of
molluscs is their so-called "cloak" – the tissue
that covers their bodies and forms a "second
shell". As the photograph reveals, the cloak
slowly covers the shell and interrupts the chro-
matic uniformity that could betray the animal's
presence. 45

The body of the seahorse (left) is covered
with plaque-shaped bones. Seahorses are
not very good at swimming. For this rea-
son, they live by clinging to corals. Since
seahorses can change their colour quickly,
they are easily protected from their ene-
mies.