20 Coral Reef Animals That Are Ready For Halloween

They have tricks, they have “treats”, they have costumes…

1. Pufferfish

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Pufferfish appear to have a built in costume—seen only when they're stressed. When under attack, pufferfish fill their stomachs with water to make themselves look a whole lot bigger than they really are.

2. Frogfish

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Master of the trick, frogfish make quick dinner of nearby fish by camouflaging to look like a rock, sponge, or other immobile object and sticking out a modified fin that looks like a lure. Unsuspecting fish approach the lure and are quickly sucked up by the frogfish. Trick!

3. Collector Urchins

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Just like kids sorting through the dress-up box for Halloween, collector urchins like to dress themselves up by collecting debris and putting it on their backs. Shells, pebbles, seaweed, trash—any item will do!

4. Stargazers

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Stargazers are the Jasons of fish. They bury themselves in the sand and lie in wait for their prey. When something delicious swims along, they’ll ambush their victim. All species are venomous, and some even deliver electric shocks.

5. Spanish Dancer

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Not only do they look like they’re dressed as a Flamenco dancer, Spanish dancers act like them too. As they move through the water, their bodies undulate, looking like a dancer's skirt. Be sure to stay away—these sea slugs are poisonous!

6. Butterflyfish

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Trick! Butterflyfish have large spots on their tails that look just like eyeballs. This way they can confuse their predators into thinking their front is their back and vice versa, making it harder to predict which way they will swim. Some, like the raccoon butterflyfish, even look like they’re wearing a mask!

7. Mimic Octopus

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A mimic octopus seems to be able to put on any costume in the book. It’s the only known marine animal that can imitate such a wide variety of sea creatures, from lionfish to sea snakes, flatfish, and more. They can even disguise themselves to look like corals!

8. Convict Tang

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Just like prisoners in old movies, convict tang are dressed up with black and white stripes. Their stripes help disguise their eyes, making it harder for predators to recognize their head from their tail. They also hide sharp razor-like blades on their tales which they use when they’re competing with other fish or defending themselves.

9. Cometfish

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Cometfish or moray eel? When cometfish are in danger, these tricksters will poke their head into a hole and leave their tail end exposed. Amazingly, they then resemble the head of a whitemouth moray eel, scaring predators away.

10. False Cleanerfish

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These fang blennies have the perfect 'costume'. They’re disguised to look like cleaner wrasses, tricking other animals into thinking they will clean off their parasites. When their victims swim close, expecting to be cleaned, the blennies attack and take a bite!

11. Christmas Tree Worms

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Dressing up like a Christmas tree for Halloween is becoming more and more popular. But these guys invented it! We might be jumping the gun talking about Christmas during Halloween, but the Christmas tree worms so closely resemble an actual tree that we had to include them. The "branches" are tentacles that trap food for the worm, making them not only beautiful, but functional as well!

12. Flamingo Tongue Snail

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Black and orange coloring aside, flamingo tongue snails seem to put on their costume every single day. When these sea snails are out and about they pull their mantel over their shell, completely transforming their appearance.

13. Trumpetfish

Some sneaky predators will surround themselves with harmless comrades, hiding their presence and intentions. This trumpetfish is hanging out with peaceful yellow tangs, and will attack an unsuspecting victim when the opportunity arises.

14. Mantis Shrimp

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Mantis shrimps are the slashers and smashers of the underwater world. Some have spears on their claws just like Freddy Krueger and can slash and stab their prey. Other have smashers on their claws that can break through aquarium glass!

15. Ghost Pipefish

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It wouldn’t be Halloween without a ghost...and these guys are costume masters. They can look like anything from leaves to algae to sponges.

16. Parrotfish

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Parrotfish don't just dress up like the opposite sex, they actually change their sex permanently. Male parrotfish keep a harem of women, but if the male dies, one of the females will change sex to become the dominant male.

17. Cuttlefish

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Imagine if you had a Halloween costume that changed colors whenever you wanted it to. That’s kind of what cuttlefish have. They’re known as the “chameleons of the sea” because they can constantly change their color.

18. Corals

Corals are like the zombies of the underwater world—they can come back to life (sort of). When waters get too warm, corals can bleach, meaning they kick out the tiny algae (zooxanthellae) that live inside them, and lose their primary source of food. When coral bleaching happens, although corals are not technically “dead,” they can quickly become so if conditions don't improve. But if conditions return to normal fast enough, they may be able to regain their zooxanthellae and survive.

19. Manta Rays

Jaine FRA, Couturier LIE, Weeks SJ, Townsend KA, Bennett MB, et al. (2012) / Via commons.wikimedia.org

Manta rays are also known as “devilfish” because of their fins which look just like devil horns. Many believe they have an evil appearance.

20. Moon Jellies

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Moon jellies are translucent, and glow when placed under a black light, just like the full moon on Halloween.