Trumpetfish

Photo: Alex Shure · CC BY-NC

Trumpetfish are masters of camouflage on Trumpet Reef, using body mimicry to blend with sea rods and gorgonians while they wait to ambush small fish and crustaceans. They are frequently seen in multiple color phases — yellow, brown, or mottled — and will sometimes use larger fish as cover to approach prey undetected. Their still, head-down posture among the sea plumes is remarkably convincing, and spotting them rewards patient observers.