Cichlid snail shepherds
help their fry play masquerade
…if the crowd’s willing.
Keeping your children safe is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. Cichlid fish have young that have striped patterns similar to a species of snail that sometimes lives in the same area – a form of masquerade camouflage protection. The fry only have these patterns in populations where the species of snail is present, and the cichlid parents further help their young by removing other species to snail from their territory, helping to drive up the proportions of striped snails and so increase their offspring’s charade. Satoh et al, 2017.