ABSTRACT
The great diversity of colors and patterns that occurs in animals has interested man throughout history. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the role of color and patterns of color in animal communication was recognized. The beginning of the twentieth century marked a period of rapid growth in ethology. Individuals who had an interest and training in zoology began to carry out detailed, descriptive studies on a variety of species. Color change may be due to a physiological mechanism whereby pigment is concentrated or dispersed by chromatophores or to a morphological mechanism whereby pigment is gained or lost by chromatophores. In monomorphic species, coloration may be involved simply in species recognition. One of the most spectacular uses of color and pattern for this purpose occurs in fishes that inhabit tropical coral reefs. In dimorphic species, where characteristic color and marking patterns are exclusive to one sex, usually the male, sex and species recognition occur simultaneously.
