Skip to content

The closest thing to an alien life form you'll find on this planet.

Home arrow Physics Videos arrow Documentary arrow The closest thing to an alien life form you'll find on this planet.


The closest thing to an alien life form you'll find on this planet. E-mail
User Rating: / 0
PoorBest 
Fantastic video footage of the incredible "Cuttlefish". A cousin of the Octopus, it displays its thoughts in color and shapeshifts at will. They also have a great refresh rate. Watch the full Nova episode "Kings of Camouflage"
These animals are incredible. Although they're called "Cuttlefish" they are not fish at all. They are cephalopods. Related to squids, octopuses, etc...

They have a gas filled bone called a "cuttlebone" that allows them to be bouyant. They have "electric skin" which uses chromatophores, iridophores and leucophores to change color and pattern and can also change their shape as methods of camouflage.

They are also quite smart. (for an invertebrate) The most astounding thing is watching the "color light" show on their skin, which is basically morphing in real time in reaction to its brain activity. Eg: hunting, mating, retreating, etc..


GoogleVideo
Read more from PBS
 
[ Back ]