Can An Octopus Change The Way It Looks? - Animals - Science ABC

The octopus is a fascinating creature that can change its colors to match its surroundings. It can also change the way it moves to mimic other animals.

The octopus is one of the most fascinating creatures you can find underwater, and the more you read about this animal, the more intrigued you’ll become!

These creatures belong to the Octopodidae family and weigh between 3-10 kgs. They have a short life span (1-2 years) and have 33,000 genes, which is much more than what humans possess! They are found in the ocean and prefer warm and tropical waters. Most octopuses remain close to the ocean floor, in dark or deep waters, although a few types live nearer to the surface of the ocean. They are carnivorous and often feed on clams, lobsters, fish and shrimp.

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Octopus change colors to match their surroundings. (Photo Credit: Daniel Eskridge & Ethan Daniels/Shutterstock)

Octopuses have eight arms and three hearts; they are also boneless, have blue blood, and can squirt ink to scare predators away. Adding to this cool list of features is their ability to squeeze through incredibly tight spaces! This is quite useful when they get trapped in a sticky situation, don’t you think?

They’re also incredibly smart and are capable of using tools, such as coconut shells!

A Coconut Octopus hides inside a broken glass bottle on a black sandy seabed(Richard Whitcombe)s
Octopuses are really good at squeezing into tight spaces! (Photo Credit: Richard Whitcombe/Shutterstock)

The octopus belongs to the class Cephalopods, which are an exclusive group in the animal kingdom. Animals belonging to this class can change their color based on their surroundings or when performing specific activities.

Octopuses, in particular, are good at blending in with their surroundings, either to camouflage themselves or to communicate with other individuals. In fact, they can change their skin color in the blink of an eye to match their surroundings, make them invisible or even make them stand out or appear more intimidating. If you’ve never seen an octopus changing its colors, watch it happen here.

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