Is it true that the Mimic Octopus appears to choose its disguise, turning into the sea snake when damselfish harass it?

Yes — the Mimic Octopus appears to choose its disguise, turning into the sea snake when damselfish harass it.

The octopus that impersonates fifteen other animals

Q: Is it true that the Mimic Octopus copies the shape and the behavior of at least fifteen different species?

Yes — the Mimic Octopus copies the shape and the behavior of at least fifteen different species.

Q: Is it true that the Mimic Octopus flattens its body, sweeps its arms back and ripples across the seabed like a poisonous flatfish?

Yes — the Mimic Octopus flattens its body, sweeps its arms back and ripples across the seabed like a poisonous flatfish.

Q: Is it true that the Mimic Octopus buries itself and pokes out two arms in opposite directions to become a banded sea snake?

Yes — the Mimic Octopus buries itself and pokes out two arms in opposite directions to become a banded sea snake.

Q: Is it true that the Mimic Octopus spreads all eight arms into a ring of stripes and hovers like a venomous lionfish?

Yes — the Mimic Octopus spreads all eight arms into a ring of stripes and hovers like a venomous lionfish.

The short version

The mimic octopus of Indonesia copies the shape and behaviour of at least fifteen other animals — flattening into a poisonous flatfish, burying itself and waving two arms as a banded sea snake, or spreading all eight arms like a venomous lionfish. It appears to choose its disguise to suit the threat.

Why it's so weird

✓The Mimic Octopus copies the shape and the behavior of at least fifteen different species.
✓The Mimic Octopus flattens its body, sweeps its arms back and ripples across the seabed like a flatfish.
✓The Mimic Octopus buries itself and pokes out two arms in opposite directions to become a banded sea snake.
✓The Mimic Octopus spreads all eight arms into a ring of stripes and hovers like a lionfish.
✓The Mimic Octopus appears to choose its disguise, turning into the sea snake when damselfish harass it.

📏 How big is it, really?

Mimic Octopus

60 cm

a 7-year-old

1.2 m

🧒

You could line up about 2 of them along a 7-year-old!

The full story

This octopus does not just hide, it impersonates other animals. Meet the mimic octopus, found in the murky shallows of Indonesia. Most octopuses can change color and texture, but this one goes far further and copies the shape and the behavior of at least fifteen different species. It flattens its body, sweeps its arms back, and ripples across the seabed exactly like a poisonous flatfish. It buries itself and pokes out two arms in opposite directions to become a banded sea snake. It spreads all eight arms into a ring of stripes and hovers like a venomous lionfish. And it appears to choose. When damselfish harass it, it becomes the sea snake, the one predator those fish fear the most. Follow for more weird animal facts.

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