Octopuses burn more calories changing colour than you do on a 23 minute run

For octopuses, changing colour burns about as many calories as a human on a 23-minute run. Octopuses are masters of disguise, changing colour at the drop of a hat to startle predators and hide from prey.

- PANDORA DEWAN

However, the energetic cost of this shade shifting has remained a mystery. Now, for the first time, biologists have measured how much energy these animals actually use for their total tonal transformations. The finding can tell scientists more about their biology. "All animal adaptation comes with both benefits and costs," said Kirt Onthank, a marine biologist and biology professor at Walla Walla University in Washington. "We know a lot about the benefits of the octopus colour change system, but until now we have known virtually nothing about the costs. By knowing the costs of colour change to the octopus, we have a better understanding of what types of trade-offs octopuses are making in order to stay hidden."