Octopuses have up to 100,000 color-changing cells per square inch of skin.

The rapid camouflage of cephalopods is driven by chromatophores, which are specialized organs containing pigment sacs. Unlike the color changes in chameleons which rely on hormones and can take minutes, octopus skin is directly wired to the brain. Each chromatophore is surrounded by a ring of muscle fibers that contract to stretch the sac wide or relax to let it shrink into a tiny dot.Research published in journals like 'Nature' and 'Current Biology' highlights that octopuses possess three layers of light-manipulating cells. Below the chromatophores lie iridophores, which produce iridescent blues and greens, and leucophores, which reflect ambient light to provide a white background. This combination allows for a nearly infinite palette of colors and patterns.A study from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, found that some octopuses can change their entire body pattern in as little as 200 milliseconds. This is faster than the blink of a human eye. This neural control is so sophisticated that octopuses can even mimic the texture of their environment by using papillae, which are small bundles of muscle that can change the skin from smooth to bumpy.Interestingly, most octopuses are believed to be colorblind. Scientists at institutions like the University of California, Berkeley, suggest they may detect color through 'chromatic aberration.' This process allows their eyes to focus different wavelengths of light at different distances, helping them match colors they cannot technically see.