Trumpetfish Comedic Master of Camouflage

Have you ever seen a kid playing hide and seek that is hiding behind a curtain with their legs and feet showing. They think they are completely hidden from you because they cannot see you, so you must not be able to see them. Well that is what I think about every time I see a trumpet fish. A comedic master of mimicry and camouflage you will see them drifting with their head down in a gorgonian swaying back and forth with the current trying to, like the child, blend in so you cannot see it. Often you will see them straddling a grouper or other large fish in the hopes of stealing a morsel or two should the opportunity arise. This is how they feed by stealth getting very close to their prey and then sucking them quickly into their mouth. The trumpet fish mouth is capable of swallowing surprisingly large prey.

We were in Curacao and happened upon this trumpet fish swaying in the soft coral. Thinking he was hidden he allowed me to get off several shots at close range. They are relatively unafraid but will move away when they think they have been detected. Watch how the trumpet fish in my video moves slowly at first but once it feels threatened it can shoot off at amazing speed.