Many animals must swipe up on their fair game to ensure that they can handle to watch a right meal . Whether it ’s a big bozo slinking through the grass or a stealthyslider , marauder often go to extreme length to blend in and lurk their target . latterly , researcher have appear at cuttlefish predatory movements and found they are using a unequalled method acting to hide their movement and to mesmerise their prey .

Broadclub cuttlefish ( Sepia latimanus ) have been seen using a novel form of camouflage which involves their incredible power to move stripe along their pelt . The cuttlefish have control of cellular telephone within the skin known aschromatophores . By manipulating these cells , the cuttlefish can switch coloring and even texture . The investigator have named this hunting technique a go across - stripe display .

“ Camouflage has preponderantly been studied as an adjustment that prey use to cramp their detection or realisation from vulture , and almost alone focused on still target as motion tends to interrupt camouflage , ” allege wind authorDr Matteo Santonfrom the University of Bristol ’s School of Biological Sciences in astatement .

The team decide to see at the cuttlefish patterns from the point of view of their fair game metal money , a crab . By doing this , they rule that the crab may become overwhelmed by the twinkle nature of thecuttlefish , and thus give way to detect the piranha move towards them .

“ Most cuttlefish rely on stealth to lift up on prey . Due to their fast colouring material - changing skin , these noteworthy animals have a wider range of options than most when it comes to camouflage while locomote , ” explain senior author Dr Martin How .

The squad filed 28 legislate stripe hunting exhibit from around 17 different cuttle . They find that the cuttlefish would typically quickly approach from further aside , before slowing down and starting the die stripe display . They found that the moving stripe were only used during the last part of the attack .

The squad also found that cuttlefish size and sex did not affect the stripe absolute frequency , nor did the size of the crab . However , coming speed was yoke to an increase in the frequency of the stripe .

“ It was a genuinely sorcerous experience pick up this species hunt in the wild for the first time , " Santon added . " Watching this cuttlefish hunt with the passing - stripe display is like being hypnotize by the tricks of a skilled seer . ”

The team retrieve that they are using the pass stripe video display as a parry to their own motion make a motion forwards . The non - forbidding down movement of the stripes is a unique camo strategy that has not been account before in nature .

The team also have a airless look at what a Cancer the Crab might see and found that the moving stripe “ grow a motion rule that is very unlike from that await by approaching predators ” .

“ To our centre this dynamic show looks very conspicuous , stand out strongly from the ground , but it is exploiting the effect of the stiff dynamic motion cues produced by the rhythmic passing stripes to delude the fair game , ” continued Santon .

The theme is put out inScience Advances .