by Hogfish are the chameleons of the Atlantic Ocean, seamlessly changing their skin color depending on their environment.
As if those morphing skills weren't impressive enough, these reef dwellers can also "see" with their skin with the help of special light-sensing cells, even after they die.
Hogfish are typically found in coral reefs and are master magicians; as protogynous hermaphrodites, they can switch their sex from female at birth to male as adults, according to the Georgia Aquarium.
Now Schweikert and her co-authors think they've discovered how this color-shifting magic works by identifying specialized light-sensing cells located beneath a layer of color-changing cells in the hogfish's skin.
This system enables them to watch their skin change color and adjust it to match their surroundings, according to the study.
Source
As if those morphing skills weren't impressive enough, these reef dwellers can also "see" with their skin with the help of special light-sensing cells, even after they die.
Hogfish are typically found in coral reefs and are master magicians; as protogynous hermaphrodites, they can switch their sex from female at birth to male as adults, according to the Georgia Aquarium.
Now Schweikert and her co-authors think they've discovered how this color-shifting magic works by identifying specialized light-sensing cells located beneath a layer of color-changing cells in the hogfish's skin.
This system enables them to watch their skin change color and adjust it to match their surroundings, according to the study.
Source
