It has been known that the octopus has many special skills, such as using hard shells for mobile homes and protection, disabling their suckers, plotting escapes, and even predicting World Cup soccer game outcomes. Can't we say it is a mysterious creature? While all these talents are impressive, they pale compared to its ability to "disappear" from plain sight. Researchers have long known that this is possible because of the presence of the organs under their skin, which expand or contract to produce a series of color1s, patterns and even skin textures in just milliseconds. Scientists had always believed that such a reaction was directed by a signal from the octopus's large, human-like eyes or brain. But a recent report published in the Journal of Experimental Biology by researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara, indicate that the animal does not have to wait for a signal from its eyes or brain. It can "see" the light with its skin! UCSB doctoral student Desmond and Professor Todd said they have seen reports about octopus skin changing color1s in response to light with no signal from the eye or brain. However, there had been no follow-up to find out why this was the case and the two decided to see what they could uncover. They began by taking skin samples from a couple of California octopuses and exposing them to color1s, ranging from violent to orange and found that their skin is equipped with the same light-sensitive protein as is found in the cells in the retina of the eyes. Thanks to these proteins, the octopus can "see" the light and react without having to wait for a signal from the eyes or brain, thus enabling it to begin the escape process. Another research by University of Maryland researchers discovered that cuttlefish and squid share the same talent. Thanks to these findings researchers now know that their skin color1 can be controlled by both. What is still not clear is how the two come together to manage the whole process. The doctoral student plans to get to the bottom of the mystery. What is the next aim of Desmond on octopuses?
Whether octopuses and cuttlefish have the same ancestor. How the signals from their brain work with the proteins. When the two teams will cooperate on their research. What octopuses will do to disable their enemies.