Mimic octopus

Photo: Kimberly Tripp Randal · CC BY-NC

First described in 1998 in Indonesian waters, the mimic octopus is the only known animal to impersonate multiple other species by reconfiguring its body posture and arm arrangement. Documented imitations include flatfish, lionfishes, and banded sea kraits — all of them toxic or unpalatable. It hunts openly in sand and rubble during the day, which is unusual for octopus, relying on its mimicry to deter attacks. Halmahera's shallow sand bays are among the best places in the world to observe this behaviour in undisturbed, unhurried conditions.