Cuttlefish: The Colorblind Master of Color Change
Cuttlefish can change the color, pattern and even texture of their skin in less than a second. The strange part is that tested cuttlefish are colorblind by the usual measures. They camouflage beautifully anyway, by reading brightness, contrast and texture around them.
Quick Facts
- Group: Cephalopods, relatives of squid and octopus
- Species tested: Common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis
- Color change: In under a second
- Skin: Pigment sacs plus small bumps called papillae
- Famous for: Camouflage without color vision
How Do Cuttlefish Change Color?
Their skin is packed with tiny pigment sacs. Each is surrounded by muscles controlled by nerves. When the muscles pull, a sac stretches open and its color shows; when they relax, it shrinks back. That lets a cuttlefish flash, ripple and fade like a living screen.
It can also raise small bumps on its skin, called papillae, to copy the texture of rocks and seaweed.
Are Cuttlefish Colorblind?
Experiments on the common cuttlefish found it could not tell colors apart when brightness was matched. So by conventional measures, it is colorblind. Yet measurements show its skin still matches the colors of its surroundings well, likely because it uses brightness, contrast, edges and texture as cues.
One idea is that their W-shaped pupils might let them pick up extra color information. That is an unproven hypothesis, and other scientists have challenged it.
The Sneaky Males
Some male giant Australian cuttlefish disguise themselves with female patterns. That lets them slip past bigger males guarding a female and get close enough to mate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a cuttlefish a fish?
No. Cuttlefish are cephalopods, related to squid and octopuses.
Can cuttlefish see color?
Tested cuttlefish are colorblind by conventional measures, though they still camouflage well.
How fast can a cuttlefish change color?
In less than a second.
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Sources
- Mäthger et al. 2006: color blindness in Sepia officinalis
- Mäthger et al. 2008: color matching in camouflage
- Hanlon et al. 2005, Nature: female mimicry in giant cuttlefish
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Cover photo: Diego Delso via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.