WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.583
(upbeat music)

2
00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:08.790
- Scientists in Japan captured
video of a squid species

3
00:00:08.790 --> 00:00:11.550
changing color to blend in
with the color of their tank.

4
00:00:11.550 --> 00:00:13.110
The animals are oval squid,

5
00:00:13.110 --> 00:00:14.910
and they're the first
squid to show this ability

6
00:00:14.910 --> 00:00:15.966
in a lab setting.

7
00:00:15.966 --> 00:00:18.840
Cephalopods, like
octopuses and cuttlefishes,

8
00:00:18.840 --> 00:00:20.580
are known to use this form of camouflage

9
00:00:20.580 --> 00:00:22.175
to hide from predators and prey.

10
00:00:22.175 --> 00:00:25.390
Color-changing cells in their
skin, called chromatophores,

11
00:00:25.390 --> 00:00:27.940
make this incredible
transformation possible.

12
00:00:27.940 --> 00:00:30.150
Because squid are difficult
to keep in captivity,

13
00:00:30.150 --> 00:00:31.360
little research has been done

14
00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:33.040
on their color-changing behaviors.

15
00:00:33.040 --> 00:00:35.130
The scientist put several squid in a tank

16
00:00:35.130 --> 00:00:36.827
half covered in dark green algae.

17
00:00:36.827 --> 00:00:39.711
Here, you can see the squid
changing from a translucent blue

18
00:00:39.711 --> 00:00:42.229
to a deep green in using
their chromatophores

19
00:00:42.229 --> 00:00:44.620
as they move to the
dirty side of the tank.

20
00:00:44.620 --> 00:00:47.260
They change color again
as they cross back.

21
00:00:47.260 --> 00:00:49.895
At least one other squid species,
the Caribbean reef squid,

22
00:00:49.895 --> 00:00:52.453
is known to blend in with
its habitat in the wild.

23
00:00:52.453 --> 00:00:55.190
So the next time you're
in the ocean look closely,

24
00:00:55.190 --> 00:00:57.740
because you may have to
squint to see a squid.

25
00:00:57.740 --> 00:01:00.563
To read more about this
story, check out gizmodo.com.