Octopuses are out of this world. These cephalopods have eight suckered arms that can grip and taste. They lack bones, allowing them to squeeze into impossible spaces. They have three hearts and blue blood, and they’re super smart. Most octopuses can also change the color of their skin—an ability put brilliantly on display in a new video from the U.K.
The Marine Conservation Society posted the video to Facebook, saying its Hiraeth Yn Y Môr (HYYM) project assistant Ciara Taylor captured the incredible video while rockpooling for science. Taylor and some other rockpoolers spotted some white octopus arms sticking out from beneath a rock, and Taylor began recording.
In the video, you can see the white arms flailing for a bit, then the octopus emerges. As it does, it starts changing colors. Before you know it, it’s an orange octopus, not a white one.
Watch an octopus change color in real time here:
The Marine Conservation Society identified this as a curled octopus, a species native to the northeast Atlantic Ocean, including the British Isles. Taylor reports that the octopus made its way safely to the sea.
Isn’t nature cool? How many times did you rewind this video to rewatch?