Skin of European Cuttlefish (IMAGE)
Caption
A close up of the skin of this European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) highlights its expressed mottled appearance the result of chromatophores and fully erect papillae; dermal structures that allow cuttlefish to disrupt their body shape in 3-D. In the wild, papillae expression provides cuttlefish with the ability to masquerade as inanimate objects, such as algae or rocks. As reported by Gonzalez-Bellido et al., these muscular structures contain a mix of muscle types that allow the animal to express and flatten the papillae quickly, and to maintain papillae expression for extensive periods without the need for neural input. The circuit that controls them appears homologous to the squid skin iridescence circuit.
Credit
P Gonzalez-Bellido.
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