Cuttlefish change skin color dynamically for camouflage and display

Evidence

Australian cuttlefish have the cleverest female mimics of all. These marine mollusks have superb color vision. Masters of camouflage, they’re able to change the color of their skin in seconds so that it blends seamlessly with their backgrounds. For most of the year they live invisible and alone but, during a brief mating season, hundreds converge, and males begin to display, changing from dull, cryptic colors to a beautiful rainbow of greens, blues, and purples. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 412

Categorization

• FICTION: Rapid skin-color disguise and mating-secret convergence offer rich scene material.