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I Don't Even Know Who You Are Anymore!: Octopus Can Mimic Over 15 Different Species

November 5, 2010 / amazing, color me impressed, cool, i could have sworn there was an octopus here a minute ago, i swear he was just here!, mimic this!, mother nature, neato, octopus, octopus's garden, pfft -- i can do that, pretending to be something you're not, seafood, seafood diet, transformers -- more than meets the ooooh shiiiiiiiit!, underwater

mimic-octopus.jpg

You probably already know about the mimic octopus because you're at that stage in your life where you stay up late getting high and watching Animal Planet. I've been there. But for those of you who haven't, this is a video of the mimic octopus, an octopus that can successfully mimic over 15 different species of sea creatures.

until now, an octopus with the ability to actually assume the appearance of another animal had never been observed.


"Having studied many octopus species in the wild, I am never surprised by the color and shape change capacities of these animals," said Mark Norman of the Melbourne Museum in Australia. "However, this animal stood out as it was the only one we've encountered that goes beyond camouflage to take on the guise of dangerous animals."

The octopus's mimic animals (not to be confused with spirit animals) include, but are by no means limited to: a poisonous flatfish, a poisonous sea snake, and the lionfish. Cool! Ooh ooh -- do an eel next! Amazing. Now do a spicy tuna roll! *dousing with soy sauce* Haha -- sucker!

Hit the jump for the worthwhile video. Particularly if you ever wanted to be a marine biologist (and who hasn't?).

Youtube

Thanks to Kaibedz, who can't mimic as well as he can mime. GAAAAAH, WHY WON'T YOU TALK TO ME?!

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