Crazy Cephalopod Camouflage and Other Talents

You may have missed the last International Cephalopod Awareness Day...

Cephalopods (such as squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish) are amazing creatures. I first became aware of their highly developed senses when I learned that the design of their eyes is analogous to our own - but with a key improvement - light does not need to pass through neurons to the light sensing photoreceptor cells. This difference relates to the quirks of our respective evolutionary and developmental histories, and is a real thumb in the eye of the creationists...

These highly intelligent mollusks are true masters of camouflage and disguise - here are some videos and a link to Carl Zimmer's blog page where I got some of the links.









Links:
Cephalopoda (Tree of Life Project)
Video: Carl Zimmer on Roger Hanlon, Marine Biologist
Carl Zimmer's article: Revealed: Secrets of the Camouflage Masters
The Cephalopod Eye