# Shapeshifting Octopus **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 20, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394 "2012-02-20T04:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/1 "2012-02-20T04:14:38Z")
It’s not totally new, but it is totally amazing. Here is a brief video showing the amazing octopus that can blend in incredibly well with its surroundings. [Amazing.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmDTtkZlMwM) ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/2 "2012-02-20T05:30:49Z")
Oh wow! That IS amazing… never seen that one before. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/3 "2012-02-20T05:44:30Z")
Oh my. I have seen this kind of behavior from geckos and had heard about this about octopi but golly THAT was freaking amazing. Thanks for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Pops1963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@Pops1963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pops1963)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/4 "2012-02-20T06:06:49Z")
Dude that was cool. I have seen other video of octopi? molding into rays and lion fish. Its almost scary how smart they are. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/5 "2012-02-20T07:02:29Z")
> [@Pops1963](#): > > Dude that was cool. > I have seen other video of octopi? molding into rays and lion fish. Its almost scary how smart they are. Octopodes or octopuses innit? [Indonesian mimic octopus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8oQBYw6xxc&feature=related). Not quite as amazing as the one in the OP but crazy stuff nonetheless. So, evolution specialists, how the _fuck_ does something like that evolve? (I’m no IDer, I just can’t get my head round such an ingenious and bizarre specialization.) ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/6 "2012-02-20T07:04:46Z")
I would never visit YouTube without the SDMB, and yet, when I do I stay for a few hours. Thanks to all for culling out the crap. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/7 "2012-02-20T08:42:30Z")
Thanks for the amazing Youtubes! The [Coconut-carrying octopus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DoWdHOtlrk) is also impressive. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/8 "2012-02-20T21:59:50Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Octopodes or octopuses innit? > > [Indonesian mimic octopus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8oQBYw6xxc&feature=related). Not quite as amazing as the one in the OP but crazy stuff nonetheless. > > So, evolution specialists, how the _fuck_ does something like that evolve? (I’m no IDer, I just can’t get my head round such an ingenious and bizarre specialization.) Little by little, just like any other adaptation. Octopi are very smart, have very good vision, and the family generally are pretty adept with camoflage (cuttlefish are a good example). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/9 "2012-02-21T02:02:00Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Octopodes or octopuses innit? > > [Indonesian mimic octopus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8oQBYw6xxc&feature=related). Not quite as amazing as the one in the OP but crazy stuff nonetheless. > ) Very cool, too. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/10 "2012-02-21T02:16:42Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > Little by little, just like any other adaptation. Octopi are very smart, have very good vision, and the family generally are pretty adept with camoflage (cuttlefish are a good example). Sorry, I meant the ability to change its shape fundamentally - so much so that it’s presumably developed specialized musculature to do so. I can imagine a trend for slightly lumpier octopuses getting eaten less, but I just can’t work out how things would progress from that to being able to emulate a frond of algae. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/11 "2012-02-21T02:48:05Z")
i could imagine it if i had eight jelly-like, fully prehensile limbs. a deeply evolved game of hand shadows. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/12 "2012-02-21T04:55:12Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > The [Coconut-carrying octopus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DoWdHOtlrk) is also impressive. Is that an African, or a European octopus? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/13 "2012-02-21T05:10:34Z")
has anyone tried giving them a weapon? a 1920s style death ray, a fishing spear or maybe a dagger? are their tentacles capable of thrusting or slicing? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/14 "2012-02-21T05:29:10Z")
He may think her can hide, but my boys will find him. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/15 "2012-02-21T10:08:28Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > He may think her can hide, but my boys will find him. But he already sleeps with the fishes. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/16 "2012-02-21T13:52:51Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > has anyone tried giving them a weapon? a 1920s style death ray, a fishing spear or maybe a dagger? are their tentacles capable of thrusting or slicing? Are you crazy?! We’d be signing our own death warrants if we did that! ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/17 "2012-02-21T18:58:50Z")
[Obligatory xkcd link.](http://xkcd.com/928/) ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/18 "2012-02-21T19:01:22Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Octopodes or octopuses innit? > > [Indonesian mimic octopus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8oQBYw6xxc&feature=related). Not quite as amazing as the one in the OP but crazy stuff nonetheless. > > So, evolution specialists, how the _fuck_ does something like that evolve? (I’m no IDer, I just can’t get my head round such an ingenious and bizarre specialization.) Octopuses, octopi, and octopodes are all correct, in ascending levels of doucheyness. So sayith the amazingly attractive [Merriam-Webster chick](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFyY2mK8pxk). As for ‘how did that evolve,’ it’s not really that hard, because their insane, ninja-esque camo is made up of three components, and each of them has considerable value on its own. First, thier flatscreen-tv skin. That’s basic (but good) camouflage, and almost everybody in their family can do it to some extent. So can several other creatures. Second, thier general flexablity and ability to re-texture their skin. That’s another version of camo, and again, not that uncommon. Almost every mammal can do this, in fact. Including yourself, though it’s less impressive without fur. Third, and this is the tough one, they’re SMART. Smart enough to think, “If I look like THIS, he’ll jump to THAT conclusion!” That’s pretty impressive, (I think only the cleverer mammals and a couple of birds are able to duplicate it) but once you get your brain to this level, it enables you to use your skin and shape to thier best advantage. And then you’ll start selecting even more strongly for adaptable skin and shape. – > [@bouv](#): > > Are you crazy?! We’d be signing our own death warrants if we did that! There’s a built in saftey. The four-year lifespan. It garentees that they die off before they can learn enough to overthrow us. It also prevents them from developing sufficent emotion to raise . . . unpleasant ethical issues. Of course, they can still cause some damage if they escape into normal society, but that’s what the Tentacle Runner agents are for. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/19 "2012-02-21T19:27:59Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > has anyone tried giving them a weapon? a 1920s style death ray, a fishing spear or maybe a dagger? are their tentacles capable of thrusting or slicing? [Here’s a heavily armed octopus.](http://theagahfstore.bigcartel.com/product/heavily-armed-octopus-shirt) > [@jjimm](#): > > But he already sleeps with the fishes. He may be a sneak, but there’s no call to bring his sex life into this. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394/20 "2012-02-21T20:12:34Z")
> [@mcgato](#): > > [Obligatory xkcd link.](http://xkcd.com/928/) What is that one mimic octopus doing to that other mimic octopus? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shapeshifting-octopus/613394.md?page=2)