Bizarre reef fish disguises himself among regular fish

The Honeycomb Cowfish is a rare and bizarre looking reef fish found in tropical waters. Slow swimmers, with small mouths, they rely on camouflage as their primary means of defense. They can also use their scaly horns on their head, but their first instinct is to change their colors to blend in with the reef around them. Occasionally, as seen here, they may try to blend in with other fish. In this case, it is a very unsuccessful ploy as the fish attempts to disguise himself among a school of striped grunts. Their bright yellow bodies and typical fish shapes of the grunts make the Honeycomb Cowfish very conspicuous.

The Cowfish seems to recognize the futility of his efforts and he swims on, looking for a patch of coral that will more closely resemble his markings.

These fish are generally solitary, but they are occasionally seen in groups of threes, consisting of one male and two females.

Honeycomb Cowfish are quite rare and they are fascinating to watch. They amble along over the reef, looking for shrimp, sponges and algae, their main sources of food. This diet will occasionally cause their flesh to become toxic and the buildup of bacteria in their bodies can cause ciguatera poisoning when consumed. Bacteria in the algae are the culprits when it comes to this toxicity, but ironically, this fact makes them a less than ideal food source in many cases, which is another survival tool for the Cowfish. Other fish seem to understand that consuming the Honeycomb Cowfish can lead to illness.

Despite the risk of ciguatera, they are a prized source of food in the Caribbean, where they are commonly found.

Divers thorough enjoy encountering them on the reef because their slowness makes them easy to observe and photograph and their unusual appearance makes them interesting subjects.