Cuttlefish dynamic camouflage: responses to substrate choice and integration of multiple visual cues

Abstract

Prey camouflage is an evolutionary response to predation pressure. Cephalopods have extensive camouflage capabilities and studying them can offer insight into effective camouflage design. Here, we examine whether cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, show substrate or camouflage pattern preferences. In the first two experiments, cuttlefish were presented with a choice between different artificial substrates or between different natural substrates. First, the ability of cuttlefish to show substrate preference on artificial and natural substrates was established. Next, cuttlefish were offered substrates known to evoke three main camouflage body pattern types these animals show: Uniform or Mottle (function by background matching); or Disruptive. In a third experiment, cuttlefish were presented with conflicting visual cues on their left and right sides to assess their camouflage response. Given a choice between substrates they might encounter in nature, we found no strong substrate preference except when cuttlefish could bury themselves. Additionally, cuttlefish responded to conflicting visual cues with mixed body patterns in both the substrate preference and split substrate experiments. These results suggest that differences in energy costs for different camouflage body patterns may be minor and that pattern mixing and symmetry may play important roles in camouflage.

To Be Seen or to Hide: Visual Characteristics of Body Patterns for Camouflage and Communication in the Australian Giant CuttlefishSepia apama

“…Choosing simple microhabitats against which to display is a behavior that enhances signal quality by reducing background noise (Hailman 1977). Our results suggest that S. apama may select appropriate backgrounds, depending on behavioral context (but see also Allen et al 2010).…”

Tactical Decisions for Changeable Cuttlefish Camouflage: Visual Cues for Choosing Masquerade Are Relevant from a Greater Distance than Visual Cues Used for Background Matching

“…obs.). On the other hand, cuttlefish generally only use background matching to camouflage to substrates that are immediately below them or in which they are partially buried (Hanlon and Messenger 1988;Hanlon et al, 1999Hanlon et al, , 2009Allen et al, 2010a). These experiments, along with many field observations, highlight the importance of masquerade as a choice of camouflage tactic in this species.…”

A computational approach to the quantification of animal camouflage

“…This makes it difficult to infer what kind of physiological limitations might exist amongst body components. For example, while the nervous control system of the cuttlefish allows for unilateral expression of patterns in a conspicuous appearance, we always observe a high degree of bilateral symmetry in camouflage patterns (Hanlon and Messenger 1988;Langridge 2006;Allen et al 20 1Ob); clearly, correlation between right and left side components is not a physiological limitation. If there were no limitations and all of the cuttlefish' body parts were independent of each other, cuttlefish could theoretically express every possible combination of pattern components.…”