It is possible that the mimic octopus uses passive observation of local fauna to better mimic those creatures. How does it select which animals to emulate? How are they able to customize this ability to different regions with different local fauna? Is this an indication that individual observation and learning on the part of the octopus might be involved? While the ability to morph in appearance to emulate other creatures is certainly the result of natural selection and evolution, the way in which the mimic octopus puts this ability to use does spark some interesting questions. The debate is still open in the marine biology community as to how the mimic octopus hones its natural talent.

Is This Mimickery Purely Instinctual or is It Learned?. Yes, there are many octopi species which are adept at camouflaging themselves into the background of their respective habitats by changing pigmentation, but none come close to what the mimic octopus does. There are no other species of octopus which can do what the mimic octopus does. When marine biologists first discovered this species of octopus in 1998 they were impressed by its “shapeshifting” abilities.

Think of them as the “Rich Little” of octopi. The mimic octopus doesn’t just try to blend in - it acts like the animal that it is mimicking. The mimic octopus not only takes on the general shape and coloration of those animals, but it is also able to mimic their movements and behavior. In other words, depending on what other sea creatures are their neighbors, those are the species that the mimic octopus will “assume.” It is believed that the range of animals that the mimic octopus can emulate varies depending on the immediate area which a single specimen inhabits. Marine biologists have not fully cataloged all of the animals that the mimic octopus can imitate. All told, individual mimic octopuses have been observed to have the ability to mimic as many 18 different sea creatures. Among the animals that the mimic octopus can “impersonate” are jellyfish, sea snakes, flatfish, and lionfish. It is literally able to alter its coloration and shape to mimic other animals that share its habitat. That is exactly what it does to great effect.

It is for good reason that this species of octopus is colloquially known as the mimic octopus. However, when observed in its natural habitat going about its daily routine, your impression of the mimic octopus is bound to change. Seen in its generic state, the mimic octopus might appear to be just another run of the mill small octopus. What Makes the Mimic Octopus So Special. This color distribution often times takes on the shape of stripes or spots.Ībove their eyes, mimic octopi have small protrusions which resemble tiny horns. In its natural state, the mimic octopus has a white and brown coloring that is distributed in a varied pattern throughout its body. Their eight arms are eight to ten inches in length with a diameter of approximately one inch. They normally grow to be about two feet in length.

Mimic octopus