October 01, 2023
In a new study, scientists found that hogfish have the ability to ‘see’ through their skin. Hogfish are able to protect themselves from predators by changing their colour to match their environment due to colour-changing cells on their body called chromatophores. When scientists used a microscope to study the effect of light on the skin of hogfish, they discovered that the fish have a light-sensitive protein known as opsin under the chromatophore cells. The chromatophore cells and the light-sensitive cells help the fish to monitor changes in light in their habitat, thus enabling them to match their skin colour to the environment.
Did You Know?
Hogfish are able to switch their gender from female to male when they grow up.
