Most mammals wear coats of brown, black, and gray, while parrots flash brilliant reds, reef fish shimmer in electric blue, and chameleons shift between greens and golds. This disparity is not random.

Why does a Caribbean angelfish sometimes resemble its Indo-Pacific cousin, even though they have never lived in the same ocean? Why do coral reefs harbor such a wide range of stripes, spots and ...

Reef fish in different oceans often develop similar color patterns because evolution explores the same set of biological possibilities.

The research maps biofluorescence across 459 glowing fish species and shows just how varied the colors have become.

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...

You can start some good arguments in a group of anglers by bringing up the subject of color. Everyone has an opinion on the importance of color in catching fish, and some anglers have several opinions ...