Cephalopods (Octopus, Cuttlefish) Are Masters Of Color-Change. They’re Also Colorblind.

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Octopus, cuttlefish, squid, and other members of the cephalopod class are masters of color-change and camouflage. Here’s an octopus:

But …

Cephalopods, in almost all cases, are said to be colorblind.
-Peter Godfrey-Smith, in Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness

How do they do it?

3 thoughts on “Cephalopods (Octopus, Cuttlefish) Are Masters Of Color-Change. They’re Also Colorblind.”

mboydp June 17, 2017 at 3:31 pm

Bix, I love this–but I didn’t know they’re color blind, nor did Gary. So what part of them executes the color-change action? I’ve seen the top vid, but not the second one–so probably the answer to my question is there. Utterly fascinating. Sad that their lifespan is so short.

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1. Bix Post authorJune 18, 2017 at 6:23 am
  
  I feel like my lifespan will be too short to discover all these things!
  
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mboydp June 17, 2017 at 3:36 pm

So the skin “sees” independent of the eyes or brain. Wow, just wow….

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