The mimic octopus doesn’t just look like the animals it imitates. The octopus is now a shrimp! You can see how the mimic octopus confuses its predators. You rub your eyes to make sure you’re not seeing things. The mimic octopus can also change to look like venomous lionfish and sea snakes.Ĭan you imagine that? One minute, you’re looking at an octopus. This includes jellyfish, anemones, and mantis shrimp. In total, scientists believe the mimic octopus can imitate up to 13 different species. It does so by changing shape and color to look like other animals. Instead, this special octopus has learned to hide in plain sight. For this reason, it doesn’t have many places to hide from predators. The mimic octopus lives in open waters and hunts during the day. The animal has since been spotted in the waters of Malaysia, as well. Scientists first found the mimic octopus in 1998 off the coast of Indonesia. Called the mimic octopus, it can copy the form of many different species. But one particular kind of octopus is very good at hiding. Octopuses are even able to take on the color of their surroundings despite being color blind! Isn’t it amazing how creatures can learn to hide from their enemies?Īll octopuses can camouflage themselves. Other times, they change to look just like a jagged coral reef. Sometimes, they flatten their bodies to look like the smooth sea floor. How do octopuses hide? They change to look like something else. Octopuses learn at an early age how to contract their muscles to change both their color and their shape. Octopuses also have special skin cells full of yellow, red, brown and black pigment. Those soft, boneless bodies allow octopuses to change shape. Luckily, octopuses are really good at hiding themselves. Sharks and stingrays are just a couple of animals that crave octopus for dinner. Their soft bodies, though, are a tasty meal for many predators. With their eight tentacles and huge heads, they do look a little scary. After all, most parents and teachers aren’t going to let you walk around with an octopus. If you have an octopus, you’ll probably need to hide it. Today’s question might sound a little odd.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |