Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Becoming Invisible by Holding their Breath

The latest evolutionary wonder:
Scientists have long known that cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) and some of their kin stop breathing when threatened by predators, but they supposed that freezing in place merely aided the creature’s visual camouflage. Turns out, it serves another purpose: A lack of water flowing over the gills decreases electrical activity there that can betray the cuttlefish’s presence to foraging sharks.

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