A Wonderleaf question
How do octopuses change color?
a real page from the book
Octopuses change color by controlling special cells in their skin. Tiny muscles open and close pigment-filled sacs, while deeper cells reflect and scatter light. Their nerves can shift whole patches of skin in moments, helping them blend into rocks, sand, shells, or seaweed.
One especially strange detail is that octopuses seem to match colors even though their eyes do not see color the way ours do. Scientists think light-sensitive parts of the skin may help read brightness and texture, so the animal’s body joins in the camouflage work.
Wonder words
- chromatophores
- pigment
- camouflage
- receptors
Try it out
Hold your hand against different household surfaces and notice which colors and patterns would make it harder to spot.
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