Crypsis in nearshore marine habitats: acquisition of light data and images with emphasis on pattern and edge designs
Abstract
Our approach is to use field ethology methods to acquire imagery and light data under a range of dynamic ambient lighting conditions on animals that are behaving naturally. We propose a focused effort on acquiring field imagery with particular emphasis on ~lines and edges~ of cryptic patterns. The class of patterns in which edges and lines are most expressed is that of disruptive patterning, and the class of marine animals that express the most dynamic crypsis and disruptive patterning are cuttlefish (mainly the genus Sepia). Some octopus species and some squid species also utilize lines and edges for crypsis and these species are well known to us. Fishes such as flounders and groupers and lizardfishes also have various transverse and longitudinal lines and bars for disruptiveness and all of these will be subjects in this study. Special investigation will be devoted to discovering the visual elements that enable the powerful effects of disruptive coloration because this form of crypsis can retard both detection and/or recognition by viewing predators. An over-arching goal is to extract bio-inspired principles from the cephalopod body patterning system (complemented by selected fish species) and find ways to reduce or confuse the visual detection of lines, shadows, edges and appendages in man-made objects. Nature has solved these problems several times over, particularly in soft-bodied animals that are subject to intense predation. We have been analyzing the body patterning system at multiple levels of analysis: (a) molecular and cellular morphology and control of optically malleable skin, (b) visual sampling of complex backgrounds, (c) decision rules for translating visual sensory information to motor output of the skin pattern, and (d) tactics of using multiple forms of concealment and communication in the presence of capable and diverse visual predators.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 17, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012101
Entities
People
- Roger T. Hanlon
Organizations
- Marine Biological Laboratory
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy