Impolite Fish Optical Illusion

It’s one of those “When You See It…” type of photos that really had me puzzled at first. But then when it suddenly popped-out, I spilled my coffee all over myself. So how long did it take before you were able to see it? If you can ignore the meaning just for a second, I think you’ll agree it’s one of the better submissions we saw lately. Agree? Huge props to Michael J. Höller for bringing this to my attention via our FB channel.

137 Replies to “Impolite Fish Optical Illusion”

  1. Oh my dear. XD I actually had to ask a friend to help me out on this one, but cute. For something like this I would highly recommend not having an “answer page” to since I know for a fact that children access this site too.

    Glad you finally implemented the new layout and thank goodness you took out the gray bar. I’m a bit worried that everything is too blue and kind of melds into each other. Still a fan of your new logo though. ;)

  2. At first I thought it was another fish behind that fish, then I saw your title and began thinking what gives. Now I can see it. Lol is it real though or photoshopped?

    I want one ;-)

  3. That’s not an illusion.

    Illusion: a perception, as of visual stimuli (optical illusion), that represents what is perceived in a way different from the way it is in reality.

    In reality this picture is just a fish with an offensive word on the side of it and that’s exactly what people see.

  4. Jajajaja! It took me a minute to see it but I have to have it as my desktop picture! I know my partner will take one look at it and think “what a nice fish!” :D

  5. It’s so obvious I looked for another illusion before i realised you didn’t know about mimicry in animals. The 90s film ‘Mimic’ is a classic if you’re into this stuff.

  6. it took me 10 minutes!!! i didnt look at any other illusions until i figured this one out!!!(such a blonde) but now its the wall paper on my phone;)

  7. I don’t get it!.. Well, I don’t see it. I see a fish facing toward an underwater plant, the fish looked photoshopped. Someone care to explain?

  8. Maybe you should change the title of the image file… I noticed it down the bottom after I worked it out luckily.
    Awesome pic

  9. It’s a shame that the skill and quality of this illusion has been used to display such offensive and puerile language.
    It’s a great illusion – I would have liked to show my kids.
    Maybe the artist can use their talents for something a bit more inspiring?

  10. WOW! At first, I didn’t get it, so I just gave up. But then, I looked at the whole fish, and saw the illusion. That’s a good one!

  11. Not appropriate at home with 4 grandkids or especially at work (a children’s hospital). Must delete the gadget rather than risk this again. Sorry!

  12. Totally faked in photoshop. Copper-banded Butterflyfish (that’s the name of the fish) have 4 unbroken vertical bands on their bodies. The horizontal marks shown here are fake..

    It would be so hysterical if it was real…

  13. for all u ppl who are wondering what the illousion is, on the fish it has the “F” word. i dont wana say it cause im only 10 and i think this just reuend my day! >:U

  14. Aside from the photoshop work, there’s actually an optical illusion on the fish itself, thanks to Mother Nature: the black spot on the fish’s body looks like an eye, making the fish look like a predator fish with a tail sticking out of it’s mouth to it’s enemies.

    And I bet this fish’s enemies say “oh Photoshop-curse!” when they see him coming!

  15. Hint: look at the pattern of the fish…

    i placed my cursor over the picture and solved it instantly. is this a real fish??

  16. Your gadget had been on my desktop until this illusion forced me to remove it. My two boys (8 and 10) had really enjoyed the illusions. I’m just taken aback, and disappointed, that you felt this was appropriate.

  17. Check this out…[img]http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/401166_3121428155432_1256411501_33350038_1835633278_n.jpg[/img]

  18. It’s been photoshopped…. That just ruined my day, I thought it was pretty cool until I saw some of the pre-photoshopped pics…:( Sorry guys!

  19. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH THEY SAID THIS WAS A KID FRIENDLY SITE!!!!!1 THAT IS NOT VERY KID FRIENDLY!!!!!!!!! I THINK THEY NEED TO STICK TO THAT PROMISE AND P.S AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

  20. Would be better if it weren’t photoshopped, and even better if the people with kids would just lighten up. It’s a word – and it’s not like they won’t see/hear it again.

  21. Not kid-friendly. I am disappointed. Plus, it’s shopped. so where’s the illusion? The fish doesn’t “appear” to be impolite by the false markings. It IS impolite.

  22. What’s inappropriate about it? I’m sure that most kids, while absorbing their mandatory images of murder, abuse, alcoholism, drug use, chauvinism, bigotry, and other desensitizing perversions served up by the entertainment industry, they have come across the word “fuck” at least 4.37 times.

  23. I FINALLY GOT IT after like, a couple weeks… lol. *hints* the word is the yellow stipes on the fish. look at the strips, not the white parts

  24. at first it took me FOREVER to guess it because i was looking way to close. if your having trouble, just stand back, look at the fish’s yellow striped. the stripes are letter. and it says the f- word

  25. My friend had this as a desktop and I wanted the picture but couldn’t find it. FINALLY
    Oh, not to worried about anybody else getting the picture…

    I won’t get in trouble.

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