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9 - Rapid adaptive camouflage in cephalopods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Roger T. Hanlon ,
Chuan-Chin C. Chiao ,
Lydia M. Mäthger ,
Kendra C. Buresch ,
Alexandra Barbosa ,
Justine J. Allen ,
Liese Siemann  and
Charles Chubb
Edited by
Martin Stevens  and
Sami Merilaita
Roger T. Hanlon
Affiliation:
Woods Hole, MA, USA
Chuan-Chin C. Chiao
Affiliation:
National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Lydia M. Mäthger
Affiliation:
Woods Hole, MA, USA
Kendra C. Buresch
Affiliation:
Woods Hole, MA, USA
Alexandra Barbosa
Affiliation:
University of Porto, Portugal
Justine J. Allen
Affiliation:
Brown University, Providence, USA
Liese Siemann
Affiliation:
Woods Hole, MA, USA
Charles Chubb
Affiliation:
University of California at Irvine, CA, USA
Martin Stevens
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Sami Merilaita
Affiliation:
Åbo Akademi University, Finland
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Summary

Camouflage versatility is probably no better developed in the animal kingdom than in the coleoid cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish). These marine molluscs possess soft bodies, diverse behaviour, elaborate skin patterning capabilities and a sophisticated visual system that controls body patterning for communication and camouflage (Packard 1995; Hanlon & Messenger 1996; Messenger 2001).

Cephalopods form a key component of the food chain and are preyed upon by nearly all of the major carnivores in the ocean – an enormous variety of marine mammals, diving birds and teleost and elasmobranch fishes. Their primary defence is visual camouflage (Hanlon & Messenger 1996). The diversity of visual systems represented by these predators is quite extraordinary and the camouflaged body patterns of cephalopods have evolved in response to these selective pressures. Benthic shallow-water cephalopods have rapid adaptive camouflage so that they can move about freely (foraging, finding mates, etc.) in multiple ecohabitats and avoid visual predation by tuning their camouflage to nearly any visual background in their natural ranges.

Type
Chapter
Information
Animal Camouflage
Mechanisms and Function
 , pp. 145 - 163
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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