The vast open ocean presents an especially challenging environment for its inhabitants since there is nowhere for them to hide. Yet, nature has found a remarkable way for fish to hide from their predators using camouflage techniques. In a study published in the current issue of Science, researchers from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University and collaborators show that fish scales have evolved to not only reflect light, but to also scramble polarization. They identified the tissue structure that fish evolved to do this, which could be an analog to develop new materials to help hide objects in the water.
Marine-life artist David Dunleavy is putting the finishing touches on a gargantuan "Dolphin Rodeo" mural that he painted on the sides of two boat barns at the Tavernier Creek Marina.
Dunleavy's large-scale creation, featuring two huge dolphin fish leaping to feed on flying fish, stretches 252 feet long and 32 feet high. The New Jersey-based artist says they are the largest dolphin fish, also known as mahi-mahi, ever painted in the world.