Cuttlefish - Kings of camouflage

Cuttlefish are well known for being the chameleons of the sea. They have evolved an incredible ability to blend into the background, due to their highly specialised skin. 


Their skin cells contain groups of blue, red, yellow, brown and black pigmented chromatophores (colour generating organelles) above a layer of reflective leucophores and iridophores. Bands of muscle radiate from each chromatophore and are controlled by neurones which are contracted and relaxed to release different levels of pigment, changing the colour of the cuttlefish. Their skin can also change shape and texture to match the surroundings using papillae, looking smooth or more jagged to match the terrain.

Cuttlefish have a smoothly curving W-shaped pupil. Although they cannot see colour, cuttlefish perceive the polarisation of light. they have two spots of concentrated sensor cells on their retina, one to look forward and one to look backward, so the cuttlefish has a very wide field of vision of the surfaces below it. Messages are sent from the eye and then to the skin so the cuttlefish automatically changes colour as the ground colour changes. 

These adaptations make cuttlefish very good at avoiding predators and stalking their prey. They feed on small fish and crustaceans, sneaking up on them until they are close enough to strike then grabbing them with their tentacles. Cuttlefish also sometimes dazzle their prey by flashing bright colours in patterns to confuse them.

It is so amazing to think that this relative of the (dare I say it) boring and ordinary slug has evolved to produce such bold and dramatic patterns of colour to aid its survival.