Science News has an interesting article about the otherworldly colors and skin patterns of reef fish.
People can theorize till the cowfish come home about what they see on a reef, but what matters is what fish see, and that's been hard to determine.
Improvements in cameras and in equipment for analyzing light and color are now inspiring new approaches to approximating a fish-eye view of the reefs. Looking at the abundant coloration from a fishy perspective, the new work demonstrates that people can be quite wrong about what's showy and what's subtle. The old questions are giving way to more-sophisticated new ones. Colors aren't just a matter of either hiding or flaunting. It may be possible to whisper and shout at the same time.
