Incredible Clip Shows an Octopus in Perfect Camouflage Catching Its Prey in the Depths of Red Sea

Octopuses have a reputation for being highly intelligent deriving from previous accounts of puzzle-solving, using tools and even figuring out mazes. These talents are attributed to the functions of their nine doughnut-shaped brains while the cephalopod mollusks also bleed blue and have three hearts. A true wonder of nature. As otherworldly as they may seem, they thrive in the marine environments of the ocean showcasing their predatory abilities. Smithsonian Magazine (@SmithsonianMagazine) shared an incredible documentary of a reef octopus camouflaged in its habitat in the Red Sea while cephalopod biologist Michael Vecchione explained the characteristics that deem octopods extraordinary.

The scientist, who has worked with NMES, NOAA, and the Natural History Museum, talked about the cephalopod’s eight arms riddled with suckers controlled independently of its brain. As the white octopus hunted for prey, invading the corals with its tentacles, Vecchione noted, “The way it does that is it’s got all these nerve ganglia distributed around in the arm.” Octopods can freely control the movement of their long appendages and suckers beneath without signals from their brains. One of the most unique features of an octopod is its ability to change color and camouflage with the “blink of an eye.” Their skin contains tiny pigment sacs called chromatophores that empower them to alter their color patterns, enabling them to contract and relax as needed. 

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the contraction and relaxation of the sacs on an octopus’ skin can intensify only certain colors to mirror the hues of its habitat. Meaning, it may not camouflage into all colors of the rainbow. Quite remarkably, each pigment sac is individually controlled by the octopod’s brain, and there are thousands of them. As Vecchione explained, the octopus aggressively spread out its tentacles on a coral to predate on any fish hiding within. Brown patches formed patterns on its bluish-white skin along with thorn-like outgrowths forming a disguise. 

Thaumaoctopus mimicus is regarded for its unique camouflage tactics. Unlike other octopuses, they do not mirror the hues of surrounding rocks, reefs, or seaweeds but instead pretend to act like other animals that predators avoid, as per the Natural History Museum. They make smart use of their arms and contort their bodies in addition to behavioral changes to fake venomous creatures like sea snakes, lionfish, banded soles, and others. “Plenty of other creatures pretend to be other animals, but the mimic octopus is the only one that we know about that can impersonate so many different species. It’s a true shape-shifter,” said Jon Ablett, who cares for the cephalopod collection at the museum. 

Vecchione warned of the kind of intelligence octopods tend to nurture, often familiarized with that of human beings. We pride ourselves on our thinking capabilities and problem-solving skills as invertebrates, but octopods have the highest forms of intelligence comparable to aliens. “Their brains have developed from the basic molluscan pattern, which is very different from the brain of a vertebrate,” the expert said. Moreover, the brain-to-body ratio of an octopus is the largest in its order. The neurons in their brain are equal to that of a dog, about 500 million, two-thirds of which are distributed throughout its tentacles and the rest in the brain.