Octopus Emotional Coloration - Photos of common color patterns

DWhatley

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The intent of this thread is to display a few photos of 6 color patterns (arbitrary suggestion) we commonly see and invite discussion about circumstances when the patterns are observed. The hope is to suggest an understanding of some of the common patterning.

I have started the thread with three common displays and known photos and have reserved top space for three more. Please PM me if you have pattern or photo suggestions.
 
Skunk Stripe

This can be either a white stripe displayed in the middle of the body or a color stripe with the rest of the body showing white. Thought to be primarily a hunting display. The photo was taken shortly afer the tank was fed (note the polyps).

Photo #1 DWhatley Maya - Octopus hummelincki
 

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Dark Cirle Around The Eye

The body and iris remain light/normal but the circle encasing the eye turns dark

Photo #1 LMecher El Diablo - Octopus briareus
 

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Mantle White Spots

A prior thread brought up a possible idenfitying marking of two white spots on the mantle. Reviewing photos in Norman's Cephalopods A World Guide, I found that nearly all octopuses seem to have these two spots but they are not mentioned or defined in any literature I have found and they are not always displayed so I am including them here.

Photo #1 DWhatley OhToo - Octopus hummelincki
 

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I thought I would "reactivate" this thread so to speak. Has there ever been any scientific tests on different color patterns? Are there different patterns for different species?
 
Thanks for bumping the thread, I had forgotten about it :oops:

Hanlon et al have defined 3 types of camo but that is the only current studies I have seen. The studies are more to describe the patterns than why they are displayed. The concentration has been on background and not emotion.
 
I see, studying the corilation between color/ camo and emotions would be very interesting. It sounds hard to study though.
 
If you should find any interesting articles in your internet travels, it would be nice to put links on the thread. I have not looked for recent info.
 
Loosely related, but if you go to Google, and do an Image search for "octopus", and then click "show options" near the top of the page, and scroll down to the "Color" section on the left margin, you can choose any color from that palette and the results will render based specifically on the color you selected. It's pretty impressive... you can experiment with any search term, of course...
 

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