We already knew cephalopods are amazing creatures—how many of us can go from colored to invisible in a blink? Hell, octopuses can even operate cameras. Still, sensing light with one’s skin is a pretty impressive trick, even for the rock stars of the invertebrate world.
And yet, as we’re now discovering, the octopus can do just that. In effect, these animals seem to have evolved a body-wide eye.
That’s the extraordinary conclusion of a study published this week in the Journal of Experimental Biology, which shows that the California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides) senses light with its skin directly, no input from the central nervous system needed.
via Gizmodo
Image: UCSB
