How does an octopus change color? Octopuses live in the sea, in oceans all around the world. An octopus can change the color of its skin to blend in with its surroundings. Let's find out how it does it.

Look at the skin of an octopus. It has special pigment cells. They are called chromatophores. These cells let the octopus change color. That is how it can blend in with what is around it. It can change color faster than almost any other animal.

An octopus can hide in other ways too. Octopuses hide in homes called dens. A den can be a crevice. It can even be a shell or a bottle. An octopus has a soft body with no bones. It can squeeze into tiny cracks.

An octopus has ways to get away. It can squirt out a cloud of dark ink to help it escape. It can also zoom away by squirting water out of its body, like a jet. Ink and speed give it two ways out when it is in trouble.

An octopus uses color in two ways. It can change color to blend in with its surroundings. A blue-ringed octopus is a small octopus with bright blue rings. It flashes the rings as a warning. People should never touch one.

Words to know

• chromatophores: color cells
• dens: hiding homes
• crevice: narrow crack
• warning: keep-away sign