Cuttlefish hold their breath to avoid their electrical field being detected by sharks

They are among stealthiest creatures on the planet, capable of changing colour to match their surroundings and even mimicking other creatures to scare off predators. Many large marine predators, such as sharks, have highly sensitive sensors around their snouts to help them detect the minute electrical activity generated by the gills of other fish. Scroll down for video Common cuttlefish are capable of rapidly changing the colour and texture of their skin to help them blend into the background, but researchers have discovered they can also disguise the electric field they produce by holding their breath and covering any openings into their body with their tentacles This extra sense, known as electroreception, allows sharks, rays, eels, knifefish and some other predators to detect their prey even if they can't see them. Cuttlefish can blend into their surroundings, making them difficult for many predators to spot, but the flow of water from their mantle and siphons on either side of its head can create a faint electrical current that predators like sharks and rays are able to detect By freezing, the animals reduce their bioelectric field further still. She said: 'I think the freeze response, especially when coupled with closing up the siphons and funnel, could also help limit water flow cues that are detected by the lateral line system of sharks and other fish predators.