Dazzling damselfish: investigating motion dazzle as a defence strategy in humbug damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus).

ABSTRACT: Many animals possess high-contrast body patterns. When moving, these patterns may create confusing or conflicting visual cues that affect a predator's ability to visually target or capture them, a phenomenon called motion dazzle. The dazzle patterns may generate different forms of optical illusion that can mislead observers about the shape, speed, trajectory and range of the animal. Moreover, it is possible that the disruptive visual effects of the high contrast body patterns can be enhanced when moving against a high contrast background. In this study, we used the humbug damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus) to model the apparent motion cues of its high contrast body stripes against high contrast background gratings of different widths and orientations, from the perspective of a predator.

SUBMITTER: Tosetto L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11438442 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature