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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Sociopath fish: bluestriped fangblenny

Does any of this sound familiar? From a science blog:


Nature is rife with charlatans. Hundreds of animals have evolved to look like other species in order to fool predators into thinking they’re more of a threat, or to sneak up on unsuspecting prey. In the Indo-Pacific lives a fish that does both and has the rare ability to switch between different disguises – the bluestriped fangblenny.
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Its model is the bluestreak cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus, an industrious species that provides a cleaning service for other reef visitors by picking off parasites and mucus from hard-to-reach places. The fangblenny’s intentions are less welcome. Its resemblance to the helpful wrasse allows it to get close enough to mount quick attacks on larger fish, biting off scales and skin (see image below for why it got it’s name).
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Now, Cheney has provided further evidence for the opportunistic colour changes of this con artist. She captured 34 fangblennies of various colours and after 60 minutes alone, all the mimics had switched to non-mimic colours – it seems that there’s no point putting on a disguise if there’s no one around to see it.

When she added another fish, nothing happened unless it was a juvenile bluestreak cleaner wrasse. At that point, a third of the fangblennies swapped back to their black-and-blue coats. Cheney noticed that only the smaller individuals changed colours. She believes that as fangblennies grow larger, the rewards of looking like the smaller wrasse are reduced, so they don’t bother.
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A disguise may look right to us, but our colour vision is very different to that of most animals, including those whose reaction actually matters. To get a more objective view of the fangblenny’s disguise, Cheney analysed the light reflecting off its scales when it went through its different colour phases. Sure enough, its black-and-blue form reflected light in almost exactly the same way as a real cleaner wrasse would.
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The bluestripe fangblenny’s many faces gives it great versatility. By matching the colours of a variety of different fish, it greatly expands the area of reef where it can safely hide from both predators and potential victims. Unlike the mimic octopus, it makes no effort to change its body shape and some of its models, like the chromis, are very different. But in a shoal, that hardly matters. A superficial resemblance to the surrounding throng may be advantage enough.


I love everything about this fish: pretends not just to be a neutral fish, but to be a helpful fish, careful to project an image suitable to its audience, but of course only superficial changes because that's often advantage enough.

46 comments:

  1. The black convict cichlid is a better representation of sociopaths

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  2. :) Good Morning Sociopathworld!!!!!

    Happy Halloween everybody!!!!

    How are you all today?

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. So funny. I mean TNP's deleting what he said.

      Rich, will you hit the streets dressed scary? You could make friends, you know, like the fish, this is one night costumes go really well.

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    3. He doesn't need a costume.

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    4. LOL No Iam gonna be the one giving out the candy!

      I hope to see some good costumes though!

      At the methadone clinic this morningall the staff was dressed up and decorated their offices and we got to vote for the best one! The nurse who dosed me was dressed as a witch! LOL

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    5. LMAO, last halloween, my stepdads brother was here, and he was at our neighbors house drinking beer and they were all sitting in the driveway waiting for the kids.... And my "step-uncle" was looking SCRUFFY as hell, he probably didnt shave for three weeks straight........ So he was sitting there with a beer on his lap holding it and some little kid came up and said "OMG, is he real?"

      HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA We were cracking up SO HARD because he really did look like a prop warewolf/man!!!! LOLOLOL Good times!

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    6. Lol! Hey Rich, could you tell me why you are here? I missed your first comments and your user name confuses me xD

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    7. Rich
      You rock so bad :D

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    8. Iam here cause I like it and maybe I can learn more about myself, plus some of the people are cool too like Mindless Pleasures, Virus, Monica, Themes, and Blades!

      My user name is just how I identify myself on here I guess. My real name is Rich. People here will usually either be Sociopaths, Nacissists, Borderlines, Neurotypicals, or Empaths, and I definatly identify with being an empath more than any of the other traits and personality types.

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    9. Thanks Monica!!!! Happy Halloween!!!!

      How are you today?

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    10. Hi Rich, you cutie!
      I may come back later and talk about it, but my issues seem to be getting the better of me, today.

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    11. :) Dont let them get you down Monica! We all have good days and bad days, some are easier than others.

      I hope you come back to talk about it! Ill be here!

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    12. LOL Is anybody watching Dr.Phil today? its called "Confronting Narcissistic Personalities" and they are bringing out narcissists and talking to them!

      Watch it the 2 women on there are NUTS, the second is the definition of NPD!!!!

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    13. @Rich, so basically you are a highly empathetic neurotypical drug addict (I believe the phrase "once an addict - always an addict"...)?

      Interesting. So what brought you here? And what caused your addiction?

      I can't watch it now, too bad ;(

      @Monica, I was thinking about your problem and maybe you are a beeper? Think about it, I could expand but I'm not qualified enough, apparently~

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    14. I said something pretty mean, so I decided to remove it.

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    15. You got a heart, old man :D

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    16. Yeah, I do. I don't like Rich, but it dawned on me that Rich doesn't like Rich either. He hates himself for being so pathetic. He doesn't need me to rub it in anymore.

      Damn shame about that boy.

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    17. Can't leave well enough alone. Can you~ Who really likes himself? I don't. I wish I did. Maybe, I will. That is my desire for my death bed.

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    18. I wasn't trying to be insulting, I was just being matter-of-fact.

      I like myself. I know I can be better, but I definitely don't hate myself.

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    19. I used to like myself. I thought I was a cool. I was soulful. I was sweet. I was warm. I had good boundaries. I knew who I was. Then, I became a spineless jelly fish whom I loathed.

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    20. I like me. I'm goal oriented, non whiner and can handle much of what Life hits me with - I just hit it back.

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    21. Monica I thought you were doing fantastic according to yesterday. That teeter totter you ride must be challenging. Woof.

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    22. Monica I thought you were doing fantastic according to yesterday. That teeter totter you ride must be challenging. Woof. Hope whoever you're riding it with isn't twice your size. The down side impact can be brutal.

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    23. It is a full moon. Mmm the ways I like it. But apparently I've an echo. Yeah. Trick or treat? I'm out for the night. MaƱana amigos.

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  3. Blackened Drum served with wild rice and steamed veggies… that's good fish;-]

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    1. I love eating fish. And red meat. I'm basically an open minded carnivore.

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    1. Thank you, dear.

      May I have a second Theme?

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    2. Lunar. The actual full moon crazy.October 31, 2012 at 6:48 PM

      You darling charm me. Imitation a sincere form of flattery. Thanks for having my back ;-) xx

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  5. Replies
    1. I'd love to put it in aquarium and see the process.

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    2. Thank you themes lol I haven't been here today but Sesame Street and The Grouch lovely. Hahaha! I'm so misunderstood but it's funny ;-)

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  6. Someone apparently has my back. I'm charmed. Gracias. Hahaha! Isn't the moon lovely tonight? Trick or treat Sociopathworld!

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    1. I just laughed so hard I spilled my red wine all over the floor. You are the roughest, toughest nut gobbler in the Wild West!

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    1. You continue to amaze me with your delusions David. Everyone has stories. But only some genuinely believe their own grandiose lies. The narcissists come to mind here *hint hint*
      You have proven yourself time and time again to be an insecure, self absorbed narcissist who runs in shame and deletes all his comments whenever the regulars here could be bothered to hold up a mirror to you.
      You have posted your personal information, photos and videos on this site in a desperate bid for attention and recognition. You try to be the biggest wolf in the forest, but in reality would cower in fear and whimper if the likes of UKan or M.E. ever raised an eyebrow in your direction.

      You need help.

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    2. Thank you for proving my point David.

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    3. What did he write?

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    4. Some drivel about how he is the one true sociopath. The only one who comes close to his badness is UKan. M.E. might know some theory, but is far from being a practical sociopath. He, the Mighty David, is the only one like hurricane Sandy, blowing through the detritus that is other people and leaving ruins behind.

      For the second installation, how he's wishes that he could tell somebody about his life, but since he has been such a badass, nobody would believe him. They would claim that a single person could never have done all those things. He is just too badass! Everyone else claiming to be a sociopath, and thus a force of destruction, is a pale shadow at best.

      Seriously, I am not making this up. He really is *that* deliciously deluded.

      Oh, and he insulted my choice of wine, the silly whore!!

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    5. Lol.

      Thank you, whoever you are. :D

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    6. You are most welcome.
      It was wonderful for me to see him implode and take the walk of shame yet again. Perhaps he will use that shame as a motivator to seek help.
      Or post another video ;)

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