Page 83 - Allah's Artistry in Colour

Scorpion fish live along the seabed in temperate or tropical zones and never venture out
to open sea. They are carnivorous and feed on smaller fish. The long, fan-shaped pec-
toral fins are an excellent deterrent to the fish's enemies, and the red-and-white stripes
make it difficult for their prey to see them against a backdrop of coral. 46 Scorpion fish
have a very colourful appearance but can easily become invisible among the corals,
which are also very colourful.

The members of the Soleidea species, such as soles and rhombuses (left), are ex-
tremely mimetic. Their benthic (i.e., bottom-dwelling) nature forces them to imitate the
substratum as much as possible. The crocodile fish (right) uses its colour to hide from
predators. 47