How does a flatfish hide in the sand?

Have you ever pushed your toes into wet sand at the beach? Feel how cool and soft it is. Wiggle, wiggle, and your toes are gone!

Under the sea lives a fish called a flatfish. Its body is as flat as a pancake. So how does a flatfish hide in the sand?

First, the flatfish swims down to the seabed, which is the sandy floor under the sea. It lies down on one side, very flat and still. Lying so flat, it makes almost no bump on the seabed.

Next, the flatfish flaps the frilly fins along its edges. Flap, flap! The fins toss sand up into the water. Then the sand drifts down and covers its back like a blanket.

Soon a thin coat of sand covers most of the fish. Its two eyes stay out on top. Both eyes sit on the top side of its body, so they can peek out and keep watch.

A few bits of the fish still show through the sand. Its eyes look at the sand all around it. What do you think its skin will do next?

Its skin changes colour to match the sand! Tiny spots on its skin turn lighter or darker. Soon its back looks speckled, just like the seabed. Now the flatfish can blend in, which means looking like what is around it.

Along comes a bigger fish, hunting for lunch. Because the flatfish can blend in, the bigger fish sees only sand. It swims away, and the flatfish stays safe.

On the seabed, a flatfish flaps sand over itself and changes colour to blend in. Lying flat and still under its sandy blanket, it looks like part of the sand.

Out on the quiet seabed, two little eyes peek up from the speckled sand. The rest of the flatfish lies hidden, still and safe.