Cuttlefish adopt disruptive camouflage under dynamic lighting
Drerup, Christian ; Dunkley, Katie ; How, Martin J. and Herbert-Read, James E. LU
(2024)
In Current Biology
34(14).
p.5-3264
- Abstract
Many animals avoid detection or recognition using camouflage tailored to the visual features of their environment.123 The appearance of those features, however, can be affected by fluctuations in local lighting conditions, making them appear different over time.45 Despite dynamic lighting being common in many terrestrial and aquatic environments, it is unknown whether dynamic lighting influences the camouflage patterns that animals adopt. Here, we test whether a common form of underwater dynamic lighting, consisting of moving light bands that can create local fluctuations in the intensity of light (“water caustics”), affects the camouflage of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). Owing to... (More)
Many animals avoid detection or recognition using camouflage tailored to the visual features of their environment.123 The appearance of those features, however, can be affected by fluctuations in local lighting conditions, making them appear different over time.45 Despite dynamic lighting being common in many terrestrial and aquatic environments, it is unknown whether dynamic lighting influences the camouflage patterns that animals adopt. Here, we test whether a common form of underwater dynamic lighting, consisting of moving light bands that can create local fluctuations in the intensity of light (“water caustics”), affects the camouflage of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). Owing to specialized pigment cells (chromatophores) in the skin,6 these cephalopod mollusks can dynamically adjust their body patterns in response to features of their visual scene.789 Although cuttlefish resting on plain or patterned backgrounds usually expressed uniform or disruptive body patterns, respectively,101112 exposure to these backgrounds in dynamic lighting induced stronger disruptive patterns regardless of the background type. Dynamic lighting increased the maximum contrast levels within scenes, and these maximum contrast levels were associated with the degree of cuttlefish disruptive camouflage. This adoption of disruptive camouflage in dynamically lit scenes may be adaptive, reducing the likelihood of detection, or alternatively, it could represent a constraint on visual processing.
(Less)
- author
- Drerup, Christian
; Dunkley, Katie
; How, Martin J.
and Herbert-Read, James E.
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-07
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- caustics, cephalopod, disruptive camouflage, sensory ecology, Sepia officinalis
- in
- Current Biology
- volume
- 34
- issue
- 14
- pages
- 5 - 3264
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:38959882
- scopus:85198726298
- ISSN
- 0960-9822
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.015
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- b742ca80-5d38-421e-aefd-51478c38bdfa
- date added to LUP
- 2024-09-23 16:02:22
- date last changed
- 2024-09-26 12:14:42
@article{b742ca80-5d38-421e-aefd-51478c38bdfa,
abstract = {{<p>Many animals avoid detection or recognition using camouflage tailored to the visual features of their environment.<sup>1</sup><sup>2</sup><sup>3</sup> The appearance of those features, however, can be affected by fluctuations in local lighting conditions, making them appear different over time.<sup>4</sup><sup>5</sup> Despite dynamic lighting being common in many terrestrial and aquatic environments, it is unknown whether dynamic lighting influences the camouflage patterns that animals adopt. Here, we test whether a common form of underwater dynamic lighting, consisting of moving light bands that can create local fluctuations in the intensity of light (“water caustics”), affects the camouflage of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). Owing to specialized pigment cells (chromatophores) in the skin,<sup>6</sup> these cephalopod mollusks can dynamically adjust their body patterns in response to features of their visual scene.<sup>7</sup><sup>8</sup><sup>9</sup> Although cuttlefish resting on plain or patterned backgrounds usually expressed uniform or disruptive body patterns, respectively,<sup>10</sup><sup>11</sup><sup>12</sup> exposure to these backgrounds in dynamic lighting induced stronger disruptive patterns regardless of the background type. Dynamic lighting increased the maximum contrast levels within scenes, and these maximum contrast levels were associated with the degree of cuttlefish disruptive camouflage. This adoption of disruptive camouflage in dynamically lit scenes may be adaptive, reducing the likelihood of detection, or alternatively, it could represent a constraint on visual processing.</p>}},
author = {{Drerup, Christian and Dunkley, Katie and How, Martin J. and Herbert-Read, James E.}},
issn = {{0960-9822}},
keywords = {{caustics; cephalopod; disruptive camouflage; sensory ecology; Sepia officinalis}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{14}},
pages = {{5--3264}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Current Biology}},
title = {{Cuttlefish adopt disruptive camouflage under dynamic lighting}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.015}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.015}},
volume = {{34}},
year = {{2024}},
}