Gallery: Absurd Creature of the Week: The Octopus That Does Incredible Impressions of Fish and Snakes

  • Image may contain Animal Reptile Snake Invertebrate Octopus and Sea Life
    Mark Norman
    01

    MS2

    A mimic octopus doing its best impression of the things I saw that one time I ate too much of a pot brownie. Or maybe it’s an impression of a lionfish.
  • Image may contain Ocean Outdoors Nature Water Sea Aquatic Animal Sea Life Reef Coral Reef and Fish
    WaterFrame/Alamy Stock Photo
    02

    common lionfish Pterois volitans Lombok Indian Ocean Indonesia. Image shot 2007. Exact date unknown.

    Yep, definitely an impression of a lionfish.
  • Image may contain Animal Reptile Snake Asphalt Tarmac Ground and Road
    Roger Steene
    03

    MS4

    Here the octopus mimics a highly venomous sea snake.
  • Image may contain Animal Reptile Sea Snake Sea Life Snake and Lizard
    Gerard Soury/Photodisc/Ocean/Corbis
    04

    COLUBRINE SEA KRAIT

    The snake in question.
  • Image may contain Gravel Road Dirt Road Tarmac Asphalt Animal Machine Coil Spiral and Rotor
    Ethan Daniels/Alamy
    05

    Mimic octopus Thaumoctopus mimicus Lembeh Strait north Sulawesi Indonesia Pacific Ocean. Image shot 10/2007. Exact date unknown.

    This one looks like a banded sole, which would actually be a great name for a band.
  • Image may contain Water Ocean Outdoors Nature Sea Animal Sea Life Reef Aquatic Coral Reef and Fish
    Michele Westmorland/Corbis
    06
    A banded sole in the flesh.
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