A convincing mimic: Scientists report octopus imitating flounder in the Atlantic (w/ Video)
Remarkable Strategy Evolved to Avoid PredatorsOn the open sand plains of the Caribbean seafloor, where soft-bodied animals are routinely exposed to predators, camouflage can be key to survival. Perhaps no group of animals is quite as adept at blending in with its surroundings as cephalopods, who along with relatives the cuttlefish and squid, have evolved a unique skin system that can instantaneously change their appearance.In the February 2010 issue of The Biological Bulletin, MBL Senior Scientist and cephalopod expert Roger Hanlon and his colleagues report the exceptional camouflage capabilities of the Atlantic longarm octopus, Macrotritopus defilippi, whose strategy for avoiding predators includes expertly disguising itself as a flounder. While Hanlon and others have documented two other species of octopuses imitating flounder in Indonesian waters, this is the first report of flounder mimicry by an Atlantic octopus, and only the fourth convincing case of mimicry for cephalopods.Comparing still photographs a
A convincing mimic: Scientists report octopus imitating flounder in the Atlantic (w/ Video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- On the open sand plains of the Caribbean seafloor, where soft-bodied animals are routinely exposed to predators, camouflage can be key to survival. Perhaps no group of animals ...
Wed 3 Mar 10 from PhysOrg
Clever Octopus Makes Like a Flounder
To mimic a flounder, and avoid predators, the Atlantic longarm octopus swims forward with its arms trailing behind like flounder fins. It swims along the contours of the sea floor, even torquing ...
Fri 5 Mar 10 from Livescience
Scientists Report Octopus Imitating Flounder in the Atlantic
Remarkable strategy evolved to avoid predators.
Fri 5 Mar 10 from U.S. News
Atlantic Octopus Mimics Flounders?A First
An octopus in the Caribbean can mimic not only the shape of a flounder but also the fish's color and swimming style, most likely in an attempt to avoid predators, researchers say.
Fri 5 Mar 10 from National Geographic
Clever Octopus Mimics a Fish
A clever octopus disguises itself as a flounder to avoid predators.
Thu 4 Mar 10 from Livescience
Octopus pretends to be flounder to avoid predators
Marine researchers have discovered the Atlantic longarm octopus mimicking not only the color and appearance of the peacock flounder, but also its unique style of swimming in order to convince ...
Sun 7 Mar 10 from Mongabay.com
Octopus pretends to be a flounder to avoid predators, Thu 4 Mar 10 from Mongabay.com
Atlantic octopus seen imitating flounder
WOODS HOLE, Mass., March 3 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've documented for the first time an Atlantic octopus mimicking a flounder -- only the fourth report of cephalopod mimicry.
Wed 3 Mar 10 from UPI
Scientists Find Flounder-Imitating Octopus in the Atlantic
Remarkable Strategy Evolved to Avoid PredatorsOn the open sand plains of the Caribbean seafloor, where soft-bodied animals are routinely exposed to predators, camouflage can be key to survival. ...
Thu 4 Mar 10 from RedOrbit
Featured - A convincing mimic: Scientists report octopus imitating flounder in the Atlantic
On the open sand plains of the Caribbean seafloor, where soft-bodied animals are routinely exposed to predators, camouflage can be key to survival. Perhaps no group of animals is quite as adept ...
Thu 4 Mar 10 from Labspaces.net
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