Metachrosis

On the day after first contact, the children had gone to the aquarium. They’d heard the aliens looked like squid (gross!), though the ones in the tank seemed harmless enough.

One settled to the bottom, its translucent orange skin changing to murky brown and gritty grey, camouflaged against the sand.

“What’s it called when they mimic the colors around them?” asked Amy.

“Metachrosis,” said the alien in its human skin.