Guppy

Male guppies are walking verification systems. They display three independent color components simultaneously: orange spots (carotenoid-based, indicating diet quality and parasite resistance), black spots (melanin-based), and iridescent blue-green spots (structural coloration from light interference). Each signal conveys different information about male quality, and females assess all three at once. This multi-signal verification resists deception - it's far harder to fake three independent signals than one.

But guppies also demonstrate the brutal trade-off between signaling and survival. In streams with high predation pressure, males display significantly duller coloration than males in low-predation streams. Bright colors attract mates, but they also attract predators. The optimal strategy isn't universal - it depends entirely on whether you're more likely to die from failing to reproduce or from being eaten while trying.

For business, guppies teach two lessons: verification through multiple independent signals reduces fraud (financial audits + customer reviews + operational metrics beats any single measure), and optimal signaling intensity depends on competitive environment. In crowded, high-risk markets, loud signaling attracts not just customers but also aggressive competitors and regulatory scrutiny. Sometimes survival requires turning down the volume.