Zoology Notes 10: Cuttlefish can hide their electrical signals

Cuttlefish are well known for their ability to transform their visual appearance, blending in with their background to hide from would-be predators. A new study shows they also respond to danger by clamping down on the electrical signals they emit.

Cuttlefish, squid and octopus can change colour in milliseconds, rapidly recloaking themselves in the face of danger. A new study, reveals that cuttlefish also respond to predators by freezing, dramatically reducing electrical signals that might give them away.

The paper, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society, builds the case for this new mode of crypsis through a series of clear observations and experiments.