Only one of these two “sponges” is actually a sponge! Can you tell which one?
The yellow one on the left is a frogfish (Family: Antennariidae), a type of coral reef fish found around the world. This species mimics a sponge so that its prey—smaller sponge-eating fish—will approach, only to be eaten by the frogfish itself!
Many types of mimicry in the natural world involve prey animals disguising themselves to avoid predators. This frogfish’s mimicry to catch prey is called aggressive mimicry because it’s on the attack, not the defense.
(via The amazing mimicry of frogfish « Why Evolution Is True)
