NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC NEWS– Octopuses are thought to be one of the most intelligent invertebrates
and can change the color and texture of their skin to blend in with
rocks, algae, or coral to avoid predators. But until now, an octopus
with the ability to actually assume the appearance of another animal had
never been observed.
“Having studied many octopus species in
the wild, I am never surprised by the color and shape change capacities
of these animals,” said Mark Norman of the Melbourne Museum in
Australia. “However, this animal stood out as it was the only one we’ve
encountered that goes beyond camouflage to take on the guise of
dangerous animals.”
Norman and fellow researchers Julian Finn of
the University of Tasmania in Australia and Tom Tregenza of the
University of Leeds in England describe the octopus mimic in the
September 7 issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society of London.
“This,” Tregenza said, “is a rather dramatic animal.”
Mimicry
is a fairly common survival strategy in nature. Certain flies, for
example, assume the black and yellow stripes of bees as a warning to
potential predators. But the adaptable octopus is the first known
species that can assume multiple guises.
© National Geographic, 2010
