Octopuses

Meet the colour-changing, shape-shifting, fortune-telling aliens of the seas.

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What has three hearts, blue blood, no bones and nine brains? It's no sci-fi monster, it's an octopus. Octopuses are some of the most fascinating animals in the sea - able to change their colour, texture and shape in less than a second. Under their alien-looking exteriors lies a nervous system unlike anything else on Earth. These slippery, shape-shifting creatures have inspired stories and prompted scientific investigations, and they still hold many mysteries.

Colour-changing creatures

Chromatophores (cells that contain colour) give octopuses their colour-shifting abilities, and the animals control which colour is visible using their muscles. The Science+Nature team spoke with marine ecologist Erin Spencer on our Mysteries of Science podcast, who explained that when those muscles stretch, a whole different colour appears on the skin. This ability is used for camouflage (a means of disguise). Some species, such as the mimic octopus, have perfected this technique and can take on the appearance of entirely different animals.

Fortunetelling creature