Nature & Environment

The octopus is able to 'see' using its skin

By T.K. Randall
May 21, 2015

Image: Octopus at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium
Credit: Pseudopanax / (PD) With its eight suction-cupped limbs and skin that is able to change color to mimic its surroundings, the octopus is certainly one of the more unusual creatures to live in the depths of the sea.

Now thanks to the results of a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology however these remarkable cephalopods have been found to possess yet another unique feature to help set them apart from the rest of the ocean's wildlife - their skin contains the same pigment proteins that can be found in eyes.What this means is that the octopus can literally sense light through its skin, an advantage that enables it to see its surroundings and camouflage its appearance accordingly.

To change color the octopus possesses a unique mechanism which uses thousands of special cells called chromatophores found just beneath the surface of its skin.

Perhaps most impressive of all however is the fact that it can do all this while color blind.

Source: The Guardian

Tags: Octopus