For squid looking to sparkle, extra bling is only seconds away, thanks to a nerve network in the skin that allows these cephalopods to alter their iridescence — the first invertebrate creatures found to have this ability.
A new study finds that electrical stimulation of the nerves in squid skin changes the color and reflectance of tiny platelike structures called iridophores in the skin, allowing changes in hue from red all the way through the color spectrum to blue.
Oddly enough, despite their bright displays, these squid see only in black-and-white, deepening the mystery of why and how they pick a color from their array.
Posts
