Marine biologist Lorian Schweikert discovered that hogfish can camouflage even after they’re dead, prompting her to investigate how they blend into their environment. Schweikert and her team identified a new type of cell deep in the hogfish’s skin that allows the fish to monitor its surroundings and edit its skin color. The hogfish’s ability to change color is attributed to its sequential hermaphroditism and the presence of opsins in its skin. The opsins were found beneath chromatophores, and researchers believe these cells act as a filter, allowing the hogfish to adjust its color matches to evade predators. The newly discovered cells are the first specialized cells for dermal photoreception found in a vertebrate.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/22/science/hogfish-skin-camouflage-dead.html