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Concept

Chromatophore

A detailed view of a chromatophore, showcasing its intricate structure with radial muscles surrounding a central pigment sac, highlighting the complex anatomy used for color change in cephalopods, fish, and amphibians.

A pigment-containing skin cell, used by cephalopods, fish, and amphibians for colour change. In octopuses and cuttlefish each chromatophore is a small sac of pigment ringed by radial muscles; contracting the muscles spreads the pigment into a visible disc. A single octopus can hold and independently control a million or so of them, producing patterns that resolve at the millimetre scale.

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