The Mimic Octopus

Key Information

Perhaps one of the most adept species in imitation, the Mimic Octopus, or Thaumoctopus mimicus, has the ability to copy its potential predators' appearance and behaviour to avoid harm.

Size: Around 60cm 

Lifespan: 9 months

Habitat: Shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific ocean

Imitation

Like other octopuses, this species can change the colour of its skin to blend in with the surroundings and avoid detection, making them a very difficult creature to find and study. The Mimic Octopus is especially skilled at contorting its body to imitate toxic predators, such as lion fish, sea snakes and jellyfish. The ability to copy various predators makes the mimic octopus polymorphic - a rare ability in nature, especially since they were neurally polymorphic before being genetically polymorphic. This means that the octopus's behaviour first allowed them to imitate, not their genetics. 

It was found that the early mimic octopus did not always have stripes, but used its chromatophores for displaying its bands of colour. Eventually, the desirable characteristic of banded arms longer than most of its octopod cousins became more frequent - those with long arms were most likely to fool their predators and hence more of them survived to reach the age of sexual maturity and pass the characteristic on. As it’s not a very venomous creature itself, this is useful for deterring its predators. 

Found in it's natural colours, this species is normally beige or light brown, but can switch to more dark, threatening patterns on demand. It is thought that the octopus’s choice of mimicry is not random. For example, when attacked by a damselfish, it will imitate the sea snake – a damselfish’s primary predator, demonstrating the high intelligence of this species.

Above is an image of a mimic octopus imitating the banded sea snake.

Where they're found

They're normally found foraging on the shallow ocean floor and when the octopus becomes tired, it can bury itself in the sand with its two eyes poking out to keep a watch on its environment. At night, they build burrows in the sand to remain hidden.

Questions to be answered

If the mimic octopus was first neurally polymorphic, how did this behaviour become popular throughout the species when they're very unsociable creatures? 

Did the mimic octopus learn through the observation of its predators? 

REFERENCES 

https://www.marinebio.org/wp-content/uploads/species/files/mimic.pdf 

Dynamic Mimicry in an Indo-Malayan Octopus

Mark Norman, Julian Finn and Tom Tregenza

2001

https://www.marinebio.org/species/mimic-octopuses/thaumoctopus-mimicus/

Mimic Octopuses 

Marinebio 

(Unknown Year) 

Date published: 13 July 2023