Squid are renowned for their ability to blend effortlessly into just about any substrate the ocean has to offer. They do so with their highly specialized, dual-layered skin. The outer layer is made up of chromatophores (sacs containing colored pigment) which expand and contract to produce the spectacular bursts of color squids are famous for. Squids use this color changing ability to camouflage themselves and to communicate with other conspecifics. The colors produced by the outer layer of skin are clearly visible to the human eye. However, the inner layer of skin is capable of producing polarized iridescent light using specialized cells called iridophores. This light is not only invisible to us, but also invisible to any potential squid predators, such as seals and whales. These signals can be produced without interfering with the outer layer of chromatophores, and allow squids to communicate with each other without revealing their carefully hidden positions.
Here is a link to the interesting article from "Not Exactly Rocket Science."
Posted by - Deysha Rivera
This article is very interesting. I don't know anything about squids, so it is cool to see how they work in the ocean. Have there ever been tests done to show how well their camouflage works in the wild?
ReplyDelete-Samantha Babcock
Do you know how advanced squid communication is and in what contexts they use such communication? I wonder what other living things use iridophores or if they are unique to squid. What a cool trait to evolve.
ReplyDeleteposted by: Jess Bouchard (1)
That is really interesting. Such an advanced trait. Are the iridophores invisible to all animals other than squid, or just to humans and predators? How do they use the iridophores to communicate with each other, and what kinds of things are they communicating about?
ReplyDelete-Posted by Sarah Benjamin
I believe other squid relatives are able to see the iridiphores, and maybe a sepecies of shrimp. I don't know enough about squid communication to know what they are saying to each other. I do know that color signaling is used during squid mating "dances." I would like to learn more, myself.
ReplyDelete- Deysha