Tiny fish makes ‘eyes’ at their killer

Media issued by The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies           

New research has found that small prey fish can grow a bigger ‘eye’ on their rear fins as a way of distracting predators and dramatically boosting their chances of survival.

The research undertaken at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoECRS) is a world-first discovery, and has not only found that these fish can grow a larger false ‘eye spot’ near their tail, but they can also reduce the size of their real eyes.

 

Image Credit: reefs.com