An octopus (pl.: octopuses or octopodes[a]) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (/ ɒkˈtɒpədə /, ok-TOP-ə-də[3]). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like other cephalopods, an octopus is bilaterally symmetric with two eyes and a beaked mouth at the centre point of the eight.. The Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) has a unique way of camouflaging. Rather than blending in with the seafloor, it changes its skin color and how it moves its tentacles to take on the shape of other sea creatures. It has been known to impersonate more than 15 different marine species, including flounders, lionfish, and sea snakes.
How Do Octopuses Change Color? Octopuses have thousands of tiny chromatophores embedded in their skin. These contain sacs filled with different colored pigments. By stretching or contracting a sac, they make the pigment more or less visible on their skin, allowing them to change color.. Find out what color is an octopus can change to and why. Learn about their skin and how they hide or show their true color. Read more now.