What makes octopuses change color

It has been known to impersonate more than 15 different marine species, including flounders, lionfish, and sea snakes. Octopuses and cuttlefish also use color change to warn their predators or any animals that threaten them.

One of the best examples is the extremely venomous blue-ringed octopus Hapalochlaena lunulata , which lives in tide pools in the Pacific and Indian Oceans from Japan to Australia.

When these small octopuses are provoked, iridescent blue rings surrounding dark brown patches appear all over their bodies. Cephalopods can also use chromatophores to communicate with one another.

Male Caribbean reef squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea turn red to attract females and white to repel other males—and can even split the coloration of their bodies down the middle to attract a female on one side and repel a male on the other! This flashing is suspected to be a means of communication—but no one knows what the squid are trying to say. Skip to main content.

The blue-lined octopus may be small, growing to at most 15 cm, but it can be deadly: its venom can cause breathing failure in humans as well as other animals. More specifically, octopuses have special cells called chromatophores in their skin. Within these cells are sacs that contain a pigment, ranging in color. The sacs can carry pigments that are black, red, yellow, or brown. Well, when the muscles around these cells tighten, the pigment sacs expand and are stretched a bit wider.

This means it is easier to see more pigment on the skin of the octopus. When the muscles relax again, the pigment sacs are no longer stretched and the skin is less pigmented. The sacs are controlled by nerves and muscles, so as you can imagine, it takes quite a bit of energy for these animals to change color. In addition to changing color, octopuses can also change their shape and the texture of their skin.

This means they are able to look like rocks and even other kinds of animals! Oftentimes, this means there is a predator nearby.

To avoid being eaten, an octopus will change its color to blend into the background or texture to do the same. Though octopuses can expel ink to escape danger, changing color and texture is their greatest form of defense as they do not have any other physical protection. Specifically, octopuses can be quite vulnerable due to their soft, malleable bodies. Similarly, some octopuses will mimic the appearance of another animal to deter their predator.

Lastly, some octopuses will change color to stand out. Certain colors and patterns within the animal kingdom signal something dangerous or even poisonous, so some octopuses will warn other animals to not even think about eating them. Though octopuses are unique in many ways, their ability to change color is not specific only to them.

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Search Two Oceans Aquarium Toggle navigation. Home Blog How does an octopus change its colour and shape? Chromatophores, iridophores and leucophores acting together can produce most of the visible colour spectrum. Leucophores allow octopuses to scatter white light, important for blending into sand or for sudden colour changes to confuse predators.

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