Watch a Cuttlefish Camouflage Itself in an Underwater Living Room

In the ocean, the cuttlefish is a master of disguise. The mollusk, which belongs to the same class as squids and octopuses, can change its shape, color, and texture to blend in with seaweed, sand, coral, and pretty much any other underwater scenery it encounters. But how would a cuttlefish fare in a less familiar setting? Would it be able to camouflage itself against the more structured patterns seen in a human being's living room, for instance?

The BBC’s Richard Hammond set out to answer that question in an episode of Miracles of Nature. Hammond designed an underwater living room set, complete with a checkerboard floor, striped walls, and a patterned couch. Then, he released a cuttlefish into the room, and observed how it adapted to its surroundings. The experiment proved that cuttlefish are, indeed, masters of camouflage—though they probably wouldn’t win a game of hide-and-seek against a human competitor. Check it out above.

[h/t: Geekologie]

Banner Image Credit: BBC, YouTube.