Octopuses are masters of camouflage. Amazing shape-shifters, the animals have the capability of deceiving by controlling the size of projections on their skin, they can change colour, and create textures ranging from small bumps to tall spikes. They easily change the way they look and be in disguise which makes them nearly invisible. They often do it while communicating with each other or when they see a threat.&nbsp;

The colour-changing trait is quite unique and shared by almost all cephalopods. But in octopuses, this skill is just breathtaking as they have the highest resolution patterns, and the change is also quick. We have seen their camouflage when they are awake, but do they do it when they are asleep?&nbsp;

A study attempted to shed light on the same and suggested that octopuses can actually dream, just like the way humans do. The researchers say that when the octopuses&nbsp;change colour when they are sleeping, they may be dreaming actually.

The study found that octopuses undergo the same process of skin-change patterns when they are sleeping. The researchers said that the skin patterns may indicate they are capable of something similar to dreaming.&nbsp;

In the study published in the journal Nature, it is mentioned that the colour-changing process could be because they are practising their skin patterns to improve their waking camouflage behaviour.

Or, they are simply dreaming. It means, they could be re-living and learning from their waking experiences, which they have already faced.

To carry out the study, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) studied the brain activity and skin patterning in octopuses while they sleep. The study was done in collaboration with the University of Washington.&nbsp;

As quoted by media houses, Professor Sam Reiter, who is the senior author of the study, said: "In this sense, while humans can verbally report what kind of dreams they had only once they wake up, the octopuses' skin pattern acts as a visual readout of their brain activity during sleep."&nbsp;

"All animals seem to show some form of sleep, even simple animals like jellyfish and fruit flies. But for a long time, only vertebrates were known to cycle between two different sleep stages," Reiter added, who leads the Computational Neuroethology Unit at OIST in Japan.&nbsp;

Researchers found that the octopuses closely resemble brain activity and skin patterning behaviour seen when awake after checking whether or not the octopuses were actually asleep, and also tested how the octopuses responded to a physical stimulus.&nbsp; 
 
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Octopuses are masters of camouflage. Amazing shape-shifters, the animals have the capability of deceiving by controlling the size of projections on their skin, they can change colour, and create textures ranging from small bumps to tall spikes.

Octopuses are masters of camouflage. Amazing shape-shifters, the animals have the capability of deceiving by controlling the size of projections on their skin, they can change colour, and create textures ranging from small bumps to tall spikes. They easily change the way they look and be in disguise which makes them nearly invisible. They often do it while communicating with each other or when they see a threat. The colour-changing trait is quite unique and shared by almost all cephalopods. But in octopuses, this skill is just breathtaking as they have the highest resolution patterns, and the change is also quick. We have seen their camouflage when they are awake, but do they do it when they are asleep? A study attempted to shed light on the same and suggested that octopuses can actually dream, just like the way humans do. The researchers say that when the octopuses change colour when they are sleeping, they may be dreaming actually. The study found that octopuses undergo the same process of skin-change patterns when they are sleeping. The researchers said that the skin patterns may indicate they are capable of something similar to dreaming. In the study published in the journal Nature, it is mentioned that the colour-changing process could be because they are practising their skin patterns to improve their waking camouflage behaviour. Or, they are simply dreaming. It means, they could be re-living and learning from their waking experiences, which they have already faced. To carry out the study, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) studied the brain activity and skin patterning in octopuses while they sleep. The study was done in collaboration with the University of Washington. As quoted by media houses, Professor Sam Reiter, who is the senior author of the study, said: "In this sense, while humans can verbally report what kind of dreams they had only once they wake up, the octopuses' skin pattern acts as a visual readout of their brain activity during sleep." "All animals seem to show some form of sleep, even simple animals like jellyfish and fruit flies. But for a long time, only vertebrates were known to cycle between two different sleep stages," Reiter added, who leads the Computational Neuroethology Unit at OIST in Japan. Researchers found that the octopuses closely resemble brain activity and skin patterning behaviour seen when awake after checking whether or not the octopuses were actually asleep, and also tested how the octopuses responded to a physical stimulus. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Do octopuses dream? Study suggests they do as they change colour during sleep

The octopus is an elusive creature, and new research brings to light even more riveting information about the animal. Turns out, much like humans, the creature with eight limbs and three hearts is capable of dreaming while asleep.

Among other uncanny characteristics of this animal are blue blood, the ability to squirt ink, its ability to camouflage, and the fact that it dies after mating.&nbsp;The study was published by researchers in Brazil on Thursday, and shows how the animal experiences two sleep states, much like humans. 
 
Octopuses are highly intelligent, and&nbsp;are considered the smartest invertebrate. Essentially, this expands the case for their intelligence, claiming that the octopus possesses sophisticated behavioural characters.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/rabbits-dig-up-tool-used-by-humans-9000-years-ago-373340" hreflang="en">Rabbits dig up tool used by humans 9000 years ago</a>

Octopuses are known to change colours while sleeping.&nbsp; A species called Octopus Insularis was observed in a lab setting, and it was found that changes in colour correspond to the two sleep states - “quiet sleep” and “active sleep”.

During the quiet phase, the animal remains still and the skin pale. During the active phase, the octopus changes it skin colour, and moves both eyes while experiencing muscular twitches. Observers found that the quiet phase lasted for seven minutes while the active phase lasted for a minute.

Scientists believe that these are the octopus versions of REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM (non-rapid eye movement) known to take place in humans and many reptiles.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-grow-mouse-embryos-in-a-mechanical-womb-373162" hreflang="en">Scientists grow mouse embryos in a mechanical womb</a> 
 
"If&nbsp;octopuses indeed dream, it is unlikely that they experience complex symbolic plots like we do," said Sylvia Medeiros, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at the Brain Institute of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte.

"The investigation of sleep and dreaming in the&nbsp;octopus&nbsp;gives us a vantage point for the psychological and neurobiological comparison with vertebrates, since the&nbsp;octopus&nbsp;possesses several sophisticated cognitive features that are only seen in some vertebrate species but with a very different brain architecture," Reuters quoted study co-author Sidarta Ribeiro, founder of the Brain Institute as saying.

The octopus is an elusive creature, and new research brings to light even more riveting information about the animal. Turns out, much like humans, the creature with eight limbs and three hearts is capable of dreaming while asleep.

The octopus is an elusive creature, and new research brings to light even more riveting information about the animal. Turns out, much like humans, the creature with eight limbs and three hearts is capable of dreaming while asleep. Among other uncanny characteristics of this animal are blue blood, the ability to squirt ink, its ability to camouflage, and the fact that it dies after mating. The study was published by researchers in Brazil on Thursday, and shows how the animal experiences two sleep states, much like humans. Octopuses are highly intelligent, and are considered the smartest invertebrate. Essentially, this expands the case for their intelligence, claiming that the octopus possesses sophisticated behavioural characters. Also read: Rabbits dig up tool used by humans 9000 years ago Octopuses are known to change colours while sleeping. A species called Octopus Insularis was observed in a lab setting, and it was found that changes in colour correspond to the two sleep states - “quiet sleep” and “active sleep”. During the quiet phase, the animal remains still and the skin pale. During the active phase, the octopus changes it skin colour, and moves both eyes while experiencing muscular twitches. Observers found that the quiet phase lasted for seven minutes while the active phase lasted for a minute. Scientists believe that these are the octopus versions of REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM (non-rapid eye movement) known to take place in humans and many reptiles. Also read: Scientists grow mouse embryos in a mechanical womb "If octopuses indeed dream, it is unlikely that they experience complex symbolic plots like we do," said Sylvia Medeiros, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at the Brain Institute of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. "The investigation of sleep and dreaming in the octopus gives us a vantage point for the psychological and neurobiological comparison with vertebrates, since the octopus possesses several sophisticated cognitive features that are only seen in some vertebrate species but with a very different brain architecture," Reuters quoted study co-author Sidarta Ribeiro, founder of the Brain Institute as saying.

Octopuses can change colour and dream while sleeping, new study finds

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Do octopuses dream? Study suggests they do as they change colour during sleep

Octopuses can change colour and dream while sleeping, new study finds