Cuttlefish camouflage

A cuttlefish changes not only its color and pattern but also the three-dimensional relief of its skin. Muscular skin papillae can rise to imitate the uneven surface of rocks, algae, or coral. Pigment-bearing chromatophores create patterns, while reflective iridophores and leucophores alter how light is reflected. These mechanisms act rapidly and support camouflage and signaling, though the match to a particular object is not always literal.