noaasanctuaries

I’ve got my eye on you! 

This common octopus, or Octopus vulgaris, gave the photographer a stern eye in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Common octopuses (or octopodes, if you want to get fancy) can change color with the help of specialized cells called chromatophores. These cells help the octopus communicate and blend in with its surroundings!

(Photo: Greg McFall/NOAA)