Experts from the Mesoscopic Imaging Facility (MIF) at EMBL Barcelona studied a unique feature found in octopuses called the Kölliker’s organs. These organs are present on the skin of baby octopuses, but they disappear once the soft-bodied cephalopods reach their adult stage. To learn about the function of these temporary structures, the MIF examined specimens of hatchlings and juveniles of Octopus vulgaris, or common octopus.
Roger Villanueva, the lead researcher in the study, described the unique organs as “mini brooms on the surface of the baby octopuses.” After a long period of observation, researchers noted that Kölliker’s organs were roughly the same size and were evenly distributed on the skin. As for the function of these organs, Villanueva stated that the “organs could be used by the young octopuses to increase their surface-to-volume ratio.” He also added that ““The distribution of these organs on the surface of the arms, head, and mantle of the octopus and their ability to refract light in two directions suggest that they might also have a role in camouflage.”
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image credit: Roger Villanueva/ICM-CSIC