You ever noticed how a “great white” shark isn’t? White, that is – it’s grey, right? Except for its belly, of course. Why is that?

It turns out that whoever named the great white shark must have been underneath one, looking up, when they did so: “The name 'white shark' refers to the color of their bellies,” explains the UK’s Natural History Museum .

But aside from being an iconic lewk, why would this apex predator of the seas sport such a pale underside? Well, it all comes down to camouflage – and it’s smarter than you might think.

“Combined with their grey coloring on top, this works as effective camouflage whether their targets are looking up to the bright sky or down to the sea floor,” notes the Museum – which is true, but it’s not the whole story. This kind of dark-on-top, light

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