Ultraviolet freckles start fish fights

Reef fishes recognize rivals' discrete, discreet marks

Seen in the right light, yellow reef fish become spotty pains in the tail fin.

FIGHTING SPOTS The images on the right show the invisible (to humans) UV designs for the two species of damselfish on the left. U. Siebeck et al./Current Biology 2010

Members of one damselfish species use facial patterns of speckles and swooshes to identify the fish species they regularly attack, researchers report in an upcoming issue of Current Biology.