Transformer — Octopus in Disguise

There are many critters that give advocates of microbes-to-marine biologist evolution conniption fits, since they refuse to cooperate with evolutionary ideas. Instead of giving credit where it belongs, to the Creator, they put the machinery of the Evolutionary Excuse Factory® into high gear. Sometimes, they even resort to metaphysical evolutionism, giving their puny god credit for having intelligence and foresight. Not that this has a bit to do with actual science, of course.

Suppose a marine biologist went to a Transformers movie, had some peyote buttons, then had a nightmare where his world and the movie world met. He or she might dream up the mimic octopuses. However, such a creature really does exist, and it's an excellent example of the intricate design work of God. Evolutionary ideas, whether using mutations, natural selection, or any combination of ideas, will not suffice. This creature can mimic other creatures in a big hurry, and it has its own "database" from which to draw for its transformation. No sign of evolution here, Pilgrim. Octopuses? Or octopi? Well, octopi is accepted, but has no real etymological basis. Here is an octopie. 

In 1998 a fantastic creature was discovered off the coast of the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) is the first living thing ever observed to imitate the shape, colour, texture, posture and behaviour of several other animal species. It performs multiple impersonations as it crosses the ocean floor.

Quick change artists

All octopus species can change the colour and texture of their skin to camouflage themselves, which is amazing in itself, but nothing like the Mimic Octopus’s behaviour had ever been previously recorded. Mimic Octopuses regularly impersonate (mostly) venomous creatures such as:

Banded Sole—the octopus imitates this flat fish with its poisonous spines by flattening out, trailing its legs behind and travelling in the same undulating manner.

Jellyfish—the octopus rises to the surface and then descends with its arms trailing as it pulses downwards, conspicuously ‘jellyfish-like’.

Sea snake—the Mimic changes its colour to the distinctive black and light stripes of the banded sea snake. It hides its body and six legs in a hole while it aligns its remaining two exposed arms in opposite directions, moving them like the venomous snake.

Lionfish— the octopus boldly swims in the open water, transforming its tentacles to appear like the poisonous barbed fins of a lionfish, and copies its movement.

Although the exact number of things it can mimic is unknown, some scientists believe this creature is able to impersonate up to fifteen separate creatures, including stingrays, sand anemones, crabs and mantis shrimp.

To finish reading about this fascinating creature, click on "The mimic octopus — The ocean’s eight–armed impression artist".