"We know a lot about the benefits of the octopus color change system, but until now we have known virtually nothing about the costs. By knowing the costs of color change to the octopus, we have a ...

With skin that can mimic colors, patterns, and textures, octopuses are the ultimate shapeshifters. They can camouflage themselves among coral reefs, kelp forests, and sandy ocean floors.

Add in the octopus’s small size (generally around eight inches), relatively short arms, bell-shaped body, pale coloring, and tendency to hover over the seafloor, and you’ve got a cephalopod ...