Cool Color Changing Squid

The bigfin reef squid of the Pacific and Indian oceans is famous for its glittering, glowing skin, but the petite sea creature can also switch up its look with pigment-producing cells embedded in its dermis. These structures, known as chromatophores, have been studied in depth in cuttlefish and octopuses.

Each tiny chromatophore is basically a sac filled with pigment. Minute muscles tug on the sac, spreading it wide and exposing the colored pigment to any light hitting the skin. When the muscles relax, the colored areas shrink back into tiny spots.