Blend and Pretend Trivia Quiz

Answer: Common octopus

The common octopus is the best-known of all octopus species. It can be found in relatively shallow waters in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic ocean in varying degrees of salinity. It feeds on most smaller species but prefers other invertebrates when they can be caught.

While its beak may be very strong and its grip can be quite binding, the octopus' body remains quite soft, fleshy, and tasty to predators. As a defence mechanism, the common octopus can both squeeze into impossibly tight crevices, and also change colour to match the background of where it is.

It can also use this camouflage in order to make hunting more efficient.

Answer: dragon

The seadragons are a part of the same family as seahorses; the resemblance is quite obvious. Neither of these animals are swift swimmers. Seadragons tend to be more delicate, hence, a greater need for camouflage. The leafy seadragon looks like it might be another piece of seaweed growing in the ocean when, in fact, its just pretending to be something it's not.

Leafy seadragons live exclusively off of the southern coast of Australia and in shallow waters. The leafy appendages are used exclusively as camouflage and they do not assist in swimming. Their bodies are quite rigid giving them limited flexibility - unlike seahorses, they cannot use their tails to hold onto objects. They tend to be quite solitary, except when mating. The seadragon eggs don't often survive into adulthood. Their camouflage helps in confusing their many predators, but they also are sensitive to man-made pollution and fishing. Hence, the government of Australia has protected these fascinating creatures from people seeking to catch them.

Answer: Stonefish

The stonefish, or Synanceia, are a family of fishes that have dorsal fins that can inject a neurotoxin so powerful that it can affect a human within seconds. Unfortunately, most times that people are stung by these fish, it is accidental. They are masters of disguise and look like another rock on the bed of the sea.

The best treatment for the venom is to heat the area to a warm temperature of 45 degrees Celsius, or to administer an antivenom according to the amount of puncture wounds one has from the fish, usually on the bottom of your foot (most people unknowingly step on them).

Answer: Frogfish

Can you see it in the picture? It's pretty difficult... Even as an experienced diver, I was always excited when I was able to spot one of these frogfish. These uniquely-shaped fish are masters of pretending to be a bit of coral. They live in the subtropical and tropical oceans from the Atlantic to the Pacific all the way into the Indian ocean and up the Red Sea.

These fish don't usually swim very much. They prefer to walk upon their fins and approach their prey that way, luring them into their mouth with a lure, much like the anglerfish of the deep.

They also have an unusual texture to their skin helping them blend in more with the coral and the sand.

Answer: True

The mimic octopus is a small octopus, well, in terms of octopi, and lives in the Indian and southwestern Pacific oceans. It is amazing at mimicking other creatures in order to avoid getting eaten and to capture its prey. One of its favourite disguises is that of a flatfish.

It can also swell its body up to resemble a jellyfish, hide six of its legs and stick the other two horizontally in opposite directions to mimic a sea snake, and can make its legs very thin and stick outwards to resemble the venomous lionfish.

It has been seen mimicking a crab in order to pretend to mate with an unsuspecting victim. It can also look like the zebra sole by propelling itself with all legs behind it.

Answer: Leaf scorpionfish

The paperfish is more commonly known as the leaf scorpionfish, partly because it can deliver quite a sting (though its venom is not as strong as its cousin, the stonefish), but also because it resembles a dead leaf floating in the water. It is such a master of disguise that it can ripple its body to resemble the movement of a leaf being fluttered by the current.

It can also change colour once every two weeks or so when it molts. Additionally, algae and hyroids can grow on the skin of this fish further enhancing its disguise.

Answer: No

Juvenile peacock flounders are born with eyes on either side of their head. As they mature, one eye flips over to the other side of its head, the left, and the fish swims sideways. These eyes are telescopic and can each be moved independently giving the peacock flounder and amazing field of view.

They can see their surroundings and their active coloration allows them to change their skin to match it. Interestingly, if one eye is damaged or its view obstructed, the peacock flounder will not change its entire body colour.

The peacock flounder often settles on the ocean floor and will even burrow into it to hide. This helps them both avoid predators and make quick work of prey.

Answer: Ghost pipefish

Ghost pipefish can be found in the Indian and western Pacific oceans. There are several species of ghost pipefish and all of them are masters of disguise. They mimic algae, plants, crinoids, sponges, and coral. When the ghost pipefish wants to feed, it will float along with the current, without moving, and will suck up the crustaceans that make up its diet by having its mouth facing downward. Most of the ghost pipefishes can be found near coral reefs, but they prefer to live in open water in order to find more food.

The reefs provide them with shelter for breeding.

Answer: Self-decoration

Self-decoration is the process by which an animal takes found objects and uses them in some way on their body in order to be more like the background and less like dinner. This can be anything from coral shards, sand, stones, and any other object that they can scavenge.

The hermit crab is a master of this. They must take discarded shells and use them as they lack a shell of their own. As they grow, new shells must be found to accommodate their bodies. These crabs will also find objects and stick them on their shells in order to seem less conspicuous.

Answer: Pygmy seahorse

Pygmy seahorses can be quite difficult to spot. They latch onto a part of their coral and stay motionless rendering them near-invisible to the untrained eye. These seahorses can be quite small and the largest species of them grow to about 2.7 cm long.

It is not uncommon for a pygmy seahorse adult to be only half that size. Interestingly, they only have one gill, on the back of their neck, unlike most fish who have two on either side of their bodies. They can be found in the Pacific and Indian oceans in coral reefs.

Some pygmy seahorses will not venture away from their coral for their entire life.