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Title: Mimic or Gimmick. Indonesia
Filename: BALI06_am-1233.jpg
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A mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) makes it much hyped "poisonous sole" impression. I have spent many dives watching the mimic octopuses and I remain unconvinced by the dynamic mimicry story. The octopus is clearly capable of rapid and amazing changes to its appearance – both in shape and colour – but these seem fairly random and specific shapes are rarely stable for long. Most examples of mimicry in nature are very accurate – at no point watching this octopus do you confuse it with a lionfish or seasnake. Furthermore, many of the quoted resemblances are often accentuated in photos because of the exact timing or angle of still picture. I believe that the well known poisonous sole impersonation, seen in this picture, seems more to do with swimming hydrodynamics than mimicry, and it is a posture seen to various degrees in many other octopuses. Puri Jati, Bali, Indonesia. South East Asia. Java Sea.
- Bali
- critter
- Indonesia
- Java Sea
- macro
- mimic octopus: Thaumoctopus mimicus
- muck dive
- muck diving
- Puri Jati
- SE Asia
- South East Asia
- tropical
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