Introduction | Powers 1 & 2 | Powers 3 & 4 | Powers 5 & 6 |
Powers 7 & 8

Baby octopuses never know their parents. They emerge from their eggs smaller than a pea and have to survive by their wits and powers from the start. Some head off to explore the world, drifting in ocean currents. They are mainly see-through but can already change color, squirt ink, and regrow lost body parts. Baby blue-ringed octopuses are born larger and are more developed than other octopuses. They settle to the seafloor immediately and start hunting for small crabs. They are already wearing their cloaks of bright blue rings.

MASTERS OF DISGUISE

No animal on Earth is better than the octopus at changing its appearance. In a flash, an octopus can change color, make itself smooth, or sprout spikes. Some use the changes for camouflage—perfectly matching and blending into their surroundings. Others put all the right bits together and take on the forms and colors of different species of fish. The octopus is the ultimate impersonator!

Photograph by David Paul