![]() It ‘discerns’ what mimicry behaviour is most appropriate for each situation. For example, when attacked by damselfish, it mimics the banded sea snake which is known to hunt damselfish. The Mimic Octopus is also able to make seemingly intelligent decisions about which of the multiple ‘personalities’ to choose from. Camouflage and disguise can obviously be useful in both situations, though the Mimic Octopus’s propensity to imitate venomous creatures is more likely to be of use in deterring those seeking to have it for dinner. They are mimicking other creatures’ visual and behavioural characteristics from ‘memory’.Īn octopus may be predator or prey. The Reef Squid ( Sepioteuthis sepioidea) can even hide in the ‘background’ of a school of parrotfish by impersonating one, but none of that compares to the Mimic Octopus’s ability to impersonate various animals without being among them. Many cephalopods 1 can change their shape and colour to match background patterns and textures, 2 even impersonating specific objects (rocks, plants, coral) in their immediate environment. Smarter than your average squid © Gary Bell, Mimicking a jellyfish Lionfish-the octopus boldly swims in the open water, transforming its tentacles to appear like the poisonous barbed fins of a lionfish, and copies its movement.Īlthough the exact number of things it can mimic is unknown, some scientists believe this creature is able to impersonate up to fifteen separate creatures, including stingrays, sand anemones, crabs and mantis shrimp. ![]() It hides its body and six legs in a hole while it aligns its remaining two exposed arms in opposite directions, moving them like the venomous snake. Sea snake-the Mimic changes its colour to the distinctive black and light stripes of the banded sea snake. When attacked by damselfish, it mimics the banded sea snake which is known to hunt damselfish. Jellyfish-the octopus rises to the surface and then descends with its arms trailing as it pulses downwards, conspicuously ‘jellyfish-like’. ![]() Mimic Octopuses regularly impersonate (mostly) venomous creatures such as:īanded Sole-the octopus imitates this flat fish with its poisonous spines by flattening out, trailing its legs behind and travelling in the same undulating manner. Quick change artistsĪll octopus species can change the colour and texture of their skin to camouflage themselves, which is amazing in itself, but nothing like the Mimic Octopus’s behaviour had ever been previously recorded. It performs multiple impersonations as it crosses the ocean floor. The Mimic Octopus ( Thaumoctopus mimicus) is the first living thing ever observed to imitate the shape, colour, texture, posture and behaviour of several other animal species. In 1998 a fantastic creature was discovered off the coast of the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The mimic octopus The ocean’s eight–armed impression artist
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