The Mind-Boggling Reason This Bulbous Octopus Changes Colors

The octopus is one of the ocean’s most fascinating animals. As a species, it possesses almost humanlike intelligence and traits rarely seen in other marine life. This octopus we found on @deepandscary’s Instagram page was recently found sleeping, but that’s not what surprised experts. While it was sleeping, it was camouflaging as it dreamt. Capturing this on camera is miraculous, but even more interesting is the reason why this happens.

Vivid Colors For a Vivid Dream State

Experts often find more mysteries than answers regarding octopuses’ brain activity. Until recently, it was thought that vertebrates mainly did rapid eye movement (REM) during sleep. Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology studied this species of nocturnal octopus and captured evidence that proves otherwise. While studying brain activity, scientists discovered octopuses have two sleep stages. The first is “quiet sleep,” where they remain unmoving with a neutral, pale color. The second is “active sleep,” where they rapidly change colors and twitch.

This evidence does not concretely confirm that octopuses experience REM, but it’s a step. For humans, the REM stage of sleep is when dreams happen. This dream state is also connected to learning and emotional processing. Humans can experience REM for just over two hours each night. In octopuses, this unconfirmed state lasted roughly 60 seconds each hour they were asleep. Further testing on the sleeping octopuses revealed the longer they were sleep deprived, the quicker they entered “active sleep,” according to The Guardian.

Why Does An Octopus Change Colors?

Camouflaging in the wild serves many purposes, the most important being protection. When predators are nearby, an octopus changes colors to blend in with its environment. These colors allow it to blend in with rocks, the ocean floor, or other animals. Octopuses can even change the texture of their skin, creating an even more convincing illusion.

Octopuses also use their chromatophores, or color-changing cells, for communication. Certain colors communicate different things to others, like nearby predators or mating calls. They use various colors to spook enemies or display a warning for overly curious marine life. An octopus may also change its color for purely emotional reasons. When threatened, researchers found they appear darker, and their skin takes on a rough texture. When they’re calm, an octopus remains a neutral, pale color with smoother skin. The latter is similar to their pattern while in the “quiet sleep” stage. This color is usually seen at night, as most octopus species are nocturnal.