Squids have an amazing technicolor iridescent skin for protection

The members of the animal kingdom have some strange and wonderful abilities. Squids, for instance, are amazing critters with iridescent powers. Trevor Wardill and researchers at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, investigated how squids sparkle by applying electric shock to the animals' skin.

The video above shows how the iridescent patches change color when nearby nerves are stimulated by electricity. Over the course of about 15 seconds, the patches change from red to blue shimmers. The animals can also change the color of regular, non-shimmering skin cells at a much faster pace. The team's work shows that the changing colors are controlled by the squid's central nervous system and are not a local reflex. The investigators think the iridescence helps with camouflage and protection against predators.

[via New Scientist]

This article was written by Anna Washenko and originally appeared on Tecca

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