Oceanographers have discovered 16 species of demersal fish with coal-black skin. The structure of the skin reflects a mere 0.04% of the incident light, reports Current Biology.
Oceanographer from the Smithsonian Museum of natural history and one of the study’s authors Karen Osborne said that these fish have invented a very thin and very effective trap for light. According to him, when light falls on its surface, it disappears without a trace.
During the study of the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific, the oceanographers were able to access an even more interesting example of such natural optical metamaterial.
“Despite the fact that our cameras are very advanced, I was unable to have the lights and photograph the fish so that it was possible to consider small details in the photos. It looked as if these denizens were sucked into itself all the light,” said Osborne.
The ability of these fish increases the chances of survival. So, for example, may overlook potential predators.
In addition, the study of the structure of their pigment cells will help engineers and physicists to create cheaper and more durable alternatives to difficult arranged light-absorbing metamaterials.
