KEY ASPECTS OF THE STORY
13- MIMICRY Black ghost knifefish quickly disappear among the long spines of black sea urchins. Elsewhere, they might be mistaken for seaweed or the leaves of underwater plants. These fish have only two dimensions. From certain angles, they are invisible. Pygmy seahorses transform into gorgonian polyps, their small size and ability to melt into the tortuous shapes of the coral make for the perfect hiding spot. A part of the rock lifts up and falls down like an enormous set of bellows, two worried eyes scanning the blue espy the slightest movements caused by small fish swimming nearby. The octopus, a master mimic, instantly changes shape and color, nimbly stretching out or curling up to take the form of whatever place it has chosen to hide, in preparation for the hunt. 14- THE POLLEN-GATHERERS OF THE REEF A butterflyfish, using its long snout, is reminiscent of a honeybee collecting pollen, as it sucks up coral polyps one by one. Beside it, angelfish nibble at sponges, and there are traces of chewed coral, torn polyps, and half-eaten sponges. We zoom in for a close look at the teeth marks. The coral is damaged, small piles of sand are all that remain. A mantis is disturbed by sand thrown up, and quickly begins hunting for the culprit. Shoals of fish scour the coral in search of seaweed to graze on. It is a veritable micro-cataclysm for our friends below the surface.
A group of huge humphead wrasse with their formidable mouths are chomping on the coral, extracting the algae and discarding the sand, all at once, producing a spectacular cloud. A fish nibbles the coral and releases a cloud of powdery white sand that covers a Fungia, a solitary mushroom-like polyp with the ability to detach itself from the sand by creating arabesque shapes.
15- THE BUILDER OF THE REEF The goby uses its mouth to dig and repair its burrow constantly. It is the mantis’ neighbor. The pair tolerate one another’s presence. Some fish, like the goby, protect their offspring in their mouth, while others,
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