Crafty Cuttlefish Are The Masters Of Disguise And Deception

Cuttlefish are masters of disguise. These eight-armed cephalopods are known to rapidly change colors, patterns, and even the texture of their skin to evade predators. Now, researchers have discovered that these crafty mollusks also use this ability to catch prey.

Matteo Santon of the University of Bristol in England and his team spent several months filming cuttlefish in Indonesia. They used live crabs as bait to attract local broadclub cuttlefish and filmed their hunting behavior.

The cuttlefish approached the crabs slowly. When they got to within three to six feet of their prey, they started changing their shape and color. The researchers identified four distinct hunting strategies.

The first was the "leaf" display, where the cuttlefish spread its side arms and tucked the other arms into a cone. It also turned olive-green and moved gently, mimicking a drifting leaf.

For the "branching coral" display, the cuttlefish raised two central arms and spread the others forward. It also turned orange and yellow. This was probably to blend in with the corals as it crept closer to its prey.

In the "passing stripe" display, the mollusk darkened to gray except for a flashing black stripe running down its back. This added motion helped hide its body as it moved toward the prey.

The fourth strategy, called "pulse," involved the cuttlefish pointing two arms forward and spreading its central arms wide. Dark pulses of color traveled along its body simultaneously. Scientists are unsure exactly how this disguise helps with hunting. But they speculate it may hide the cuttlefish's shape from its prey.

The cuttlefish also showed the ability to switch between displays during a single hunt. For example, they might begin with the branching coral display and finish with the passing stripe. They sometimes also combined two displays. They would take the shape of a leaf while sending pulses of dark color down their arms.

The team's findings were published in the journal Ecology on February 18, 2025. The researchers are not sure how cuttlefish choose camouflage strategies for different hunting scenarios. But their study reveals just how adaptable and intelligent these creatures are.

Though called cuttlefish, these sea creatures are not fish at all. They are a type of mollusk and part of the cephalopod family, closely related to octopuses and squid. Scientists have identified over 100 species of cuttlefish worldwide. They all have remarkable camouflage abilities. Cuttlefish are also skilled hunters. They use their specialized tentacles to capture prey with lightning-fast precision.

Resources: Smithsonianmag.com, Phys.org, arstechnica.com