Can cuttlefish hypnotize their prey?

Like their cephalopod cousins the octopuses, cuttlefish are masters of disguise.

As they hunt, these marine predators send waves of color across their skin. The rainbow display stops prey in their tracks, granting the cuttlefish just enough time to shoot out two specialized hunting tentacles at lightning speed and snatch them into range of their deadly beaks.

But can cuttlefish actually mesmerize prey with their colorful skin changes? Or is something fishier at play?

Experts told Live Science that cuttlefish are ingenious hunters, but that there's likely an even more mysterious process than hunter to prey hypnosis going down on the seafloor.

A calculated hunter

Cuttlefish are visual hunters, using their large, complex eyes to locate and track potential meals. In general, their strategy involves a slow, steal...