Cuttlefish Camoflauge
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Cuttlefish are known for their remarkable display of texture and color. However, the mechanisms behind their exuberant abilities are vastly complex, and rely on different sources of stimuli.
In fact, it takes a massive cumulation of evolutionary traits working together to encourage a cuttlefish’s sensitivity to its surrounding environment, and how to best be successful when hunting, hiding, and mating.
There are several types of camouflage, or coloration changes that a cuttlefish can display, and each kind have been used for different situations.
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The small spots of color commonly seen with a keen eye on the outermost layers of the cuttlefish’s mantle cavity are called chromatophores. These small pockets of pigmented skin are able to constrict, dilate, and even change color frequency almost instinctively. What is less commonly known about chromatophores, and other camouflaging mechanisms of the cuttlefish, is that they are controlled by thick muscle that surround the entire cuttlefish’s body. Chromatophores lie in the dermis of the skin, but are controlled by the contraction of muscles, directed by internal sensory organs. These muscles are called chromatophore muscles which receive said stimulus from the cuttlefish's central nervous system.
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Neurotransmitters are key in the understanding of the mechanisms of chromatophore responses. It has been found
that glutamate serves as the excitatory neurotransmitter that acts on the neuromuscular junction between chromatophore muscles and chromatophores.
Another mechanism of camouflage, besides coloration, is texture. Cuttlefish have a unique ability to physically raise portions of their dermis to imitate natural textures of rock, kelp, or coral. Papillae are what control this ability, and it is still a wonder to scientists how these small adaptations have evolved, and how exactly they function - but numerous studies have begun to shed light on this fascinating phenomenon.
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Uniform / stipple coloration:
A cuttlefish will use uniform or “stipple”
coloration to blend in with sand, wood, or
any other substrate that is fixed and has an
even appearance.
Mottled coloration:
The cuttlefish will display even patterns of light and
dark spots in a moderately-lit environment. Examples
of situations that would require a mottles skin pigmentation
would be small even-toned pebbles, or rock.
Disruptive coloration:
Cuttlefish will display disruptive coloration in a bold
attempt to blend in with uneven background patterns,
colors, and textures, such as kelp, coral, and rocks.
Here is an intriguing video behind the physiological analysis of cuttlefish chromatophores.
A cuttlefish’s skin pigmentation can also be a defense mechanism. From this study, it was found that cuttlefish can differentiate between different predators, and relay different colorful warding methods based on the threat level. Three different teelost species were measured against the cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) including black seabass, bluefish, and a summer flounder. The cuttlefish was able to discern between body size, methods of predation and swimming patterns were all factors that the cuttlefish would take into account to different against.