Camouflage is a survival technique employed by many animals. The most common approach is disruptive camouflage, in which the skin is patterned with shapes and colours to match those in the natural background — making it difficult or confusing to detect the outline of the animal. This young cuttlefish uses a more advanced adaptive camouflage strategy. Like chameleons, cuttlefish have the ability to change their surface pigmentation to adapt to the colours of their environment. Cuttlefish also use fast-changing, vivid skin patterns as a means of communication between themselves. Photo credit: Raul654 |