Many cephalopods have the ability to change their skin color, pattern and even texture rapidly and on demand. The reef squid, Sepioteuthis, can change from a bright red to a greenish hue to almost translucent in the blink of an eye. Other cephalopods have even more impressive displays with moving patterns and shifting iridescence. This ability to control color is another example of the finely-tuned nervous system of cephalopods.

The squid in this example is showing a pattern by selectively ennervating groups of pigmented organs called chromatophores The result is a speckling effect on the mantle and other darker hues on the arms. This is how it appears from a human perspective. Most evidence currently indicates that cephalopods are color blind.

How does the squid control the distribution and quality of the colors it displays?

Click on the image to zoom in for a closer look.