Crafty cuttlefish employ several different camouflaging displays while hunting their prey, according to a new paper published in the journal Ecology, including mimicking benign ocean objects like a leaf or coral, or flashing dark stripes down their bodies. And individual cuttlefish seem to choose different preferred hunting displays for different environments.
It's well-known that cuttlefish and several oth...
Cuttlefish's Adaptable Camouflage: A Masterclass in Hunting
Diverse Camouflage Tactics
In a captivating new study published in the journal Ecology, researchers discovered that ingenious cuttlefish utilize a multifaceted array of camouflaging displays while pursuing prey. These displays include mimicking seemingly innocuous objects such as leaves or coral and projecting enigmatic dark stripes across their bodies. Notably, individual cuttlefish exhibit distinct preferences for specific hunting displays based on the environment.
The Science of Skin Manipulation
Cuttlefish, along with other cephalopods, possess an extraordinary ability to rapidly alter their skin coloration due to its unique structure. Their translucent skin contains an outer layer of pigment cells known as chromatophores, which control light absorption. Each chromatophore is connected to muscle fibers, which in turn are linked to nerve fibers. By stimulating these nerves with electrical impulses, the muscles contract, causing the chromatophores to expand, thereby increasing the pigmented areas and changing the skin's color. Conversely, cell shrinkage reduces pigmentation.
Beneath the chromatophores lies another layer called iridophores. Unlike chromatophores, iridophores employ structural color, similar to the iridescent wings of butterflies. However, squid iridophores are dynamic, allowing them to reflect different wavelengths of light. A study in 2012 proposed a correlation between this tunable structural color and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The combined action of these two layers generates the remarkable optical properties of squid skin.
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