'/> Amazing Animals: February 2012

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Wonderful World of Animals: Some Interesting Facts About Insects

Join me as we explore some fascinating and interesting facts about insects.

How Do Butterflies Differ From Moths?

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There are three visible differences. The antennae of a butterfly have little knobs at the ends, but the antennae on a moth’s head are feathery and often branched. The butterfly’s body is nipped in at the middle, while a moth’s body has a little 'waist'. Butterflies do not have a mechanism for hooking the fore and hind wings together but moths do.

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Other differing features are their habits. All butterflies, but only a few moths, fly by day. Consequently, butterflies are generally more brightly colored than moths.

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The world’s largest butterfly is the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing from Papua New Guinea with a wingspan of 28 cm (11 in). The owlet moth of Brazil has been recorded with a wingspan of over 30 cm (11.8 in).

Surprising Beetle Facts

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The sexton beetle performs a useful service, both to itself and nature, by burying any dead mice, birds or other small creatures it finds. A pair will excavate the soil beneath the corpse until it sinks into the earth. The body is covered and the beetle lays its eggs to provide a good supply of food when the eggs hatch.

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Carpet beetles have lived in corked bottles for two years with nothing to feed on but their own discarded skins.

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Cochineal comes from beetles collected by people in Mexico. These are then dried and crushed to a fine powder which is mixed with water to make a rich dye. To make 1 kg (2.2 lb) of dye about 150,000 beetles are needed.

Who is the Stronger Then?

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It is astonishing to learn that an ant can lift much more weight in proportion to its size than can a man. An average man can lift a little more than his own weight, but an ant can lift fifty times its own weight.

How Does A Spider Spin its Web?

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Like insects, lobsters and crabs, spiders are arthropods, which is Greek for ‘jointed legs’. Spiders have eight legs; insects have six.

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A spider’s body is in two parts with six silk glands at the end of the back part. From these glands comes a liquid which turns to silk on contact with air. As it is produced, the spider holds the silk thread with one leg and can vary the kind of silk. When spinning its web, a garden spider begins with a large, thread square. Then it works from the middle to the edge, putting in about thirty strokes or rays of thread. Then it changes direction again and makes a series or sticky spirals from the center outwards. To complete the web the spider spins a thread from the centre to a hiding place nearby.

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Web can be 3 m (9.8 ft) across or as small as a postage stamp. In more primitive times spiders and their webs were swallowed whole as a reputed cure for jaundice.

Here's more interesting facts:

* Fleas can jump up to 25.4 cm (10 in) in the air – many, many times their own height.

* A dragonfly can catch its prey by forming its legs into the shape of a basket.

* A type of wasp digs a hole in sandy ground in which it deposits its eggs. It then stings an insect to paralyze it and puts it with the eggs to provide a really supply of food when the young hatch. To protect its eggs from any predators the wasp uses a pebble to push sand into the hole and to smooth the surface over.

* A medium—sized swarm of locusts contains about a million insects and consumes about twenty tonnes of food a day.

* In the 1600s, Queen Christina of Sweden detested fleas so much she ordered miniature cannon to be built – just 10.2 cm (4 in) long- and she fired it when never she saw a flea. It is not recorded whether or not she was successful in killing any!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The 10 Fastest Animals in The World

Some animals possess extraordinary abilities. Some of them move so fast and some are very strong relative to body size. Here are the 10 fastest animals in the world. Here are the 10 world’s quickest and fastest creatures.

Tiger Beetles – World’s Fastest Animals in Terms of Body Size

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Tiger Beetles are among the most amazing animals in the world. They can sprint at 13 km/h. If human beings are like Tiger Beetles, we can run as fast as 494 km/h. They are the fastest animal in the world in equivalent to body size. Tiger Beetles run extremely fast they go blind. Their speed is about 22 times the speed of the fastest human sprinter.

Cone Snails – World’s Fastest Killers

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I know you are surprised to see a snail on the list because we all know for a fact that snails are amongst the slowest animals in the world. Cone Snails are not the fastest in terms of running or moving, but the world’s fastest killers. These poisonous and dangerous creatures hunt, fish, marine worms and mollusks using harpoon-like teeth and poison gland killing their prey almost instantly.

Worms – World’s Fastest Legless Invertebrates

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Don’t get shocked if you have seen a worm in the list of the fastest animals in the world. With a speed of up to 16 m/h through solid ground, Worms are considered the fastest legless invertebrates.

Mantis Shrimps – World’s Fastest Animal Strikers

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Because of their exceptional speed, Mantis Shrimps can beat the best gunslingers in the west with their strike. Don’t go near the hole of these solitary creatures because they will snap you as fast as the bullet.

Basilisks – World’s Fastest Animals on Water Surface

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Basilisks are animals known for their ability to walk or run above the surface of water, hence they have been dubbed as “Jesus Christ Lizards. Their feet move extremely fast that they can run on water at a speed of 5.4 km/h.

Hares – Animals More Than Twice as Fast as Humans

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Do not underestimate Hare because they are extremely fast, they can run twice as fast as an Olympic sprinter. These very fast moving animals, particularly the European Brown Hare, can attain a maximum speed of 72 km/h.

Mako Sharks – World’s Fastest Shark Species

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Mako Sharks, particularly the Shortfin Mako Sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus), are the fastest of all the shark species in the world. It can attain a maximum speed of up to 48 km/h. Their scientific name means “sharp nose”.

Ostriches – World’s Fastest Animals on Two Legs

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Yes, you’ve read it right, Ostriches are the world’s fastest animal on two legs, They can attain a breathtaking speed of up to 97.5 km/h. They are also the largest extant species of bird and lay the largest egg of any extant bird.

Cheetahs – World’s Fastest Land Animals

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Of all the fastest animals in the world, perhaps the most popular is the Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Running at a speed of115 km/h, Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land.

Peregrine Falcons – World’s Fastest Animals

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Peregrine Falcons are the fastest extant member of the animal kingdom. They can dive at an amazing peed of320 km/h. its compound name is Falco peregrines and is also known as the Peregrine. Historically, they are known in North America as the Duck Hawks.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Seven Amazing Color-changing and Shape-shifting Animals

They are the Masters of Disguises — animals that have impressive abilities to alter their appearance to blend with the colors, materials and textures of virtually any surroundings. To some it is their way to elude predators and to others simple camouflage to lure prey. Read on to learn more about the seven amazing color-changing and shape-shifting animals.

Flounder



Flounders are ocean-dwelling flatfish species found across the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, with some species even inhabiting the arctic waters. They prefer living in shallow waters, coastal lagoons and reefs. These bottom-feeding flat fish are generally brown in color, but can change color, including red, blue, green and orange whenever the need arises. With two eyes situated on one side of its head (left or right depending on the species), adult flounders move to the bottom of the oceans.



The eye position enables grown ups to swim along parallel to the ground below them and still look up and forward. These protruding eyes further aid their stealth as they watch for predators or prey. Some species of flounder are known to further camouflage their bodies from predators by digging themselves into their surroundings using a kind of fluttering motion that throws up a cloud of mud over its body. Predators find them hard to see.

Mimic Octopus

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More than mere color-changers (turning black and yellow), the Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus), is also shape-shifters that is capable of mimicking other oceanic creatures such as brittle stars, flatfish, flounders, giant crabs, jellyfish, lionfish, sea anemones, sea snakes, sea shells, and stingrays.



Discovered in 1998, mimic octopi live in the tropical seas of South East Asia. This amazing octopus species determines which animal to impersonate depending on local predators.

Chameleon

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Chameleons are the classic master of disguise and color-changers. These amazing lizards have the ability to change colors in order to adapt be into their environmental surroundings. These color changes can include colors such as black, blue, brown, green, light blue, orange, pink, red, blue, red, orange, turquoise, yellow, and combinations thereof. This serves as a mechanism of communication, as well as a defense against predators.



These tree-living lizards also have eyes that can rotate in different directions, a curly tail, and tongue twice the length of its body. Chameleons are found in Africa, Asia, Spain and Portugal, and have also been introduced to parts of North America. Sizes vary from just an inch to more than a couple of feet in size.

Goldenrod Crab Spider

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The Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia), has only two colors to change into “at will”. – white and yellow – depending on the flower in which it is hunting. but fortunately for this species, it hunts mainly on flowers of those colors: daisies and sunflowers most notably. This spider is able to change its color by secreting a liquid yellow pigment. This color change both helps it creep up on flower-sitting prey and also as a camouflage to avoid possible predators. The color change from white to yellow takes between 10 and 25 days, the reverse about six days.

Peron’s Tree Frog

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The Peron’s Tree Frog (Litoria peronii) also known as the Laughing Tree Frog and Maniacal Cackle Frog, are widespread in Australia, inhabiting forests, woodlands, and open areas. They are known for their amazing ability to change color in seconds depending on temperature, light exposure and moisture. It can change color between gray, dark brown and white. It has yellow and black legs and emerald spots. Peron’s tree frogs are generally insectivores. Males measures between 44-53 mm; females 46-65 mm.

Golden Tortoise Beetle

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The Golden tortoise beetles (Charidotella sexpunctata) is one of the most striking and beautiful insects. One remarkable feature of this remarkable creature is its ability to change color from a metallic gold color to a dull red with ladybug-like spots. It is able to achieve this change within a short time period, by altering the reflectivity of their outer shell. Seemingly, it is able to “voluntarily” squeeze this layer, reducing its thickness and do away with the gold color. Tortoise beetles are plant eaters and primarily feed on morning glory.

Cuttlefish

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Cuttlefish sometimes called as the chameleon of the sea are marine mollusks found along the coasts of Australia, Africa, the Mediterranean, western Europe, and the coasts of east and south Asia. They generally range in size from 15 cm to 25 cm and weigh over 10.5 kg. They have amazing ability to camouflage themselves in a range of environments, swiftly alter their skin color at will. It can change color from yellow to red-orange and blue-green. They use their camouflage to evade predators and to hunt and sneak up on their prey.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

The World’s 10 Most Fearless Ants and Termites Hunters

These uncanny hunters, sport outwardly bizarre-looking features and go for a special diet – ants and termites. And through the course of time, ants and termites tremble to death just seeing their faces. Why? For these 10 fearless hunters have perfected the art of ant-eating! Read on to meet The World’s 10 Most Fearless Ant and Termites Hunters.

What do the Giant Armadillo, Echidna, Aardvark, Numbat, Silky Anteater, and Numbat have in common. These fearless hunters are known as “ants and termites” terminators.

Giant Anteater

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The Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga pterodactyl), the largest species of anteater, is native to Central and South America. Its habitat includes swamps, grassland savannahs, woodlands and humid forests. It grows to about 2.1 m (7 ft) long, with a 0.91 m (3-ft) long bushy tail. An adult can weigh from 29 to 64 kg (65 to 140 pounds). A giant anteater has tapered head, small eyes, long nose and round ears. Its coarse, straw-like hair may be gray or brown, which grows up to 40 cm long on the tail.

Silky Anteater

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The Silky Anteater or Pygmy Anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) is the smallest member of the anteater found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. It can usually be found high up in trees, especially in Ceiba (silk cotton) trees. It grows from 32 to 52 cm (12 to 21 in) in length and weighs from 175 to 500 g. This nocturnal and arboreal animal have soft golden brown or gray fur with a brown stripe on the back. It has a short pink snout, a long tongue, prehensile tail, and has two toes with curved claws on each of its front feet. The silky Anteater is a slow-moving animal, but can consume between 100 and 8000 ants a day. It also feeds on other insects like beetles.

Northern Tamandua

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The Northern Tamandua (Tamandua Mexicana) or Lesser anteater, is endemic to tropical and subtropical forests from southern Mexico, through Central America, and to the coastal forests of Ecuador and Peru. It is a medium-sized anteater which grows to about 130 cm (50 in) long including the long, hairless prehensile tail. Adults weigh between 3.2 to 5.4 kilograms (7.1 to 12 lbs). It has pale yellow to off-white fur mark with a distinctive “sweater vest” patch of deep black. It has small eyes and ears, and a long snout. Though lacking in teeth, it has long, extensible, and sticky tongue used to catch ants and termites. It can live up to 16 years in the wild.

Southern Tamandua

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The Southern Tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla), also called the Collared Anteater or Lesser Anteater, is a medium-sized anteater found in high altitude rainforests and savannas of South America. Generally, it has brown to tan fur with black patch resembling a vest running across its shoulder down to the back and sides. This mammal has four sharply clawed toes on their front feet and five toes on its back limbs. Adults Southern Tamanduas grow from 535 mm to 880 mm (21.1 in to 31.5 in) long with a 400 mm to 590 mm (15.7 in to 23.2 in) long prehensile tail. It has small eyes and poor vision but good sense of smell used to track down ants and termites. It also feeds on bees and honey.

Giant Armadillo

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The Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus)is the largest extant species of armadillo found in South America. It lives in burrows near water , woodland, grassland, and forest habitats. This solitary and nocturnal animal measures from 13 to 150 cm (5 to 59 in) long and weighs about 85 g to 54 kg (3 oz to 120 lbs). Overall, it is dark brown in color, except for the head, tail and under part of the shell, which are nearly white. Its neck and body is protected with 14 to 17 moveable bands.

The giant armadillo has around 80 to 100 teeth and also possesses very long front claws. An omnivore, it primarily feeds on ants and termites and has been known to hunt upon spiders, worms, snakes, and plants. Giant armadillos can live 12 to 15 years. It is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List.>

Pink Fairy Armadillo

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Just 90–115 mm (3.5 to 4.5 inches) long excluding the tail, the Pink Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) or pichiciego is the smallest species of armadillo. An endangered species, it is native to Argentina and generally inhabits dry grassland areas. It is pale rose or pink in color and possesses armored back plates.

What is unique about this animal is that it is the only armadillo whose dorsal shell is almost completely separated from the body. It is a nocturnal animal, which spends much of its time in underground burrows. A fearless ants and termites hunter, it occasionally feeds on insects and larvae, worms, snails, as well as small plants.

Aardvark

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The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer), meaning “Earth Pig”, is a medium-sized, pig-like mammal native to Africa. It has a stout body with a pale, yellowish-gray colored skin. Its back is slightly arched and covered with coarse hairs. The head is elongated, the ears are long, the mouth is tube-shaped and the tongue is extremely long and thin. On average, Aardvark measures between 1 to 1.3 m (3.3 to 4.3 ft) with a tail which can reach to 70 cm (28 in) long. It weighs about 40 and 65 kg (88 and 140 lbs). A solitary and nocturnal animal, it feeds primarily on ants and termites.

Numbat

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The Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) or Banded Anteater is a day-active marsupial endemic to Western Australia. It is a small carnivorous animal between 35 and 45 cm (13-18″) long and weighs 280 and 550 grams. This colorful creature varies in color from soft grey to reddish-brown, with a contrasting black stripe running from its lower back and rump. It sports a pointed muzzle, small, round-tipped ears and a distinctive bushy tail.

Numbat has a long, sticky tongue for eating ants and termites

Echidna

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The Echidna, or Spiny Anteater, along with the Platypus, are the only egg-laying mammals (monotremes). Native to Australia and New Guinea, it is a small, nocturnal animal between 35 – 45 cm long and weighs between 2-7 kg. Its body is covered with a “normal” short, coarse hair and long spines. It has a small mouth, a pointed snout and a long sticky tongue. The echidna has a very short, flat limbs with long, powerful, curved claws used in tearing open anthills. It then uses its long, sticky tongue to collect its prey, which primarily are ants and termites, though some species also eat worms and insect larvae.

Pangolin

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The Pangolin or Scaly Anteater is a weird-looking animal found in Southeast Asia and Africa. Its skin is covered by large, razor-sharp, plate-like keratin scales. Depending on the species, the Pangolin measures from 30 cm to 100 cm (12 to 39 inches). This solitary and nocturnal mammal has short legs with long, sharp front claws used for digging into termite mounds and anthills. It then uses its extremely long tongue to collect its meal. Pangolin has a life span of up to twenty years in captivity.

Monday, February 6, 2012

10 Insects with The Most Painful Stings

Here’s a list of insect with the most venomous sting in the world. Such stings can induce excruciating pain and numbness and for others could mean death. The measurement of sting used in this particular article is the Schmidt Sting Pain Index.

Insects are among the most diverse group of animals in the world. Most insects are considered pests to humans. Many species are harmful and deadly too.

10.) Sweat Bee

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With a sting measurement of 1.0, Sweat Bees are among the insects with potent sting. Sweat Bees were so named because they are attracted to the salt in human sweat. Their sting is almost painless, but can cause harm to people with allergies to insect stings.

9.) Fire Ant

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Fire Ants are stinging ants with a 1.2 measure of sting. There are more than 280 species of Fire Ants and they are also known for several common names such as Tropical Fire Ants and Ginger Ants.

8.) Bald-faced Hornet

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Hornets are among the most dreaded insects in the world. A Bald-faced Hornet or Dolichovespula maculata has a 2.0 measure of pain. The pain of the sting of this critter is similar to getting your hand mashed in a revolving door. Ouch!!!

7.) Yellowjacket

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A Yellowjacket has a 2.0 measure of pain like the Bald-faced Hornet. The pain it causes is similar in extinguishing a cigar on your tongue. Whew, that really hurts. This animal is common in North America. All female species of the Yellowjackets are capable of stinging.

6.) Honey Bee

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Looks are deceiving, and names too! Taking into consideration the common name of this insect sounds like it will cause no pain to anybody. A Honey Bee’s sting is measured at 2.x one. Remember, not all honeys are sweet.

5.) European Hornet

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The measure of sting of the Honey Bee and European Hornet are the same at 2.x. the sting of a European Hornet is comparable to a matchhead that flips off and burns one’s skin.

4.) Red Harvester Ant

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One of the dreaded stinging insect with a measure of sting of 3.0 is the Red Harvester Ant. The pain it causes is simply excruciating. This animal can be found in southwest United States.

3.) Paper Wasp

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Similar to the dangerous Red Harvester Ant, the Paper Wasp is also a dangerous small creature. The sting of this insect is measured at 3.0 and is like spilling a hydrochloric acid on a paper cut. This stinging animal is also known as Umbrella Wasp.

2.) Tarantula Hawk

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Have you experienced being electrified? The sting of Tarantula Hawk, which is measured at 4.0, is truly painful and can be compared to being electrified. The sting of a Tarantula Hawk is one of the most painful of all insects.

1.) Bullet Ant

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The Bullet Ant (Paraponera clavata), a creature, with a measure of sting of 4.0+, is considered the world’s insect with the most painful and excruciating sting. The pain it causes is similar to fire-walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch rusty nail in one’s heel. These dangerous stinging insects are also known as Conga Ant and Lesser Giant Hunting Ant.

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Most Beautiful And Brilliantly Colored Coral Reef Fishes

The Most Beautiful And Brilliantly Colored Coral Reef Fishes

Marine Angelfish


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Marine angelfish (Pomacanthidae) live around the same coral reefs as the butterflyfish and in fact look a bit like larger editions of those fish, but some people think angelfish is prettier. They differ from Butterflyfish in that they have a spine at the base of each gill cover. Except during mating angelfish are solitary, and each fish will vigorously defend its territory. If another member of the species intrudes, it will make a threatening display, showing off its colors. If the invader does not leave, there will be a violent fight.



Zebra angelfish

A Zebra angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) lives on a coral reef in Indo-Pacific waters.


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Blue-ringed angelfish

The Blue-ringed angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis) lives around coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific.

Butterflyfish


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Butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae) are found around coral reefs all over the world. These are thin, brilliantly colored fish with almost-circular bodies, but the color is arranged in bold patches and bands that break up their shape and thus help camouflage them. With the real eyes hidden in black bands and in a number of species a black eyespot showing prominently in front of the tail, the Butterflyfish further confuse predators about which end is back and which is front. These fish are also protected by a row of spines on the back that make them an unpleasant mouthful. Some have flattened, chisel-like teeth to pick off coral polyps, while others have tiny protruding teeth at the tip of their pointed snout to take food from tight crevices in rocks.


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Damselfish


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Another inhabitant of coral reefs is the colorful damselfish (Pomacentridae). Like the cichlids, which damselfish resemble, their nostrils have only one opening, and they have two spiny fin rays in the front part of the anal fin. Damselfish lay their eggs in rock crevices and guard them fiercely. They anemone fish, or clownfish, live among the tentacles of sea anemones. A skin secretion protects them from the anemone’s sting. Damselfish are very popular for aquariums.


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