Broadclub cuttlefish use a dynamic camouflage technique to stay hidden even as they creep up on their prey. The “passing stripe” display involves dark stripes flowing down their bodies, which confuses their prey, masking the motion cues that usually trigger escape.

Lab experiments by the team at the University of Bristol showed that crabs, the cuttlefish’s common prey, were less likely to react when presented with looming stimuli overlaid with moving stripes compared to static patterns or no stripes at all.

In the field (the sea), the team found that cuttlefish use this display only during the final phase of their hunting approach, adjusting the stripe frequency depending on how fast they move.

Instead of trying to blend into the background, the cuttlefish overwhelms its prey with misleading visual noise and this strategy may even be unique among predators.

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