I read that they often hide from predators by squirting out a cloud of ink or something like that?

FEMALE PROFESSOR: Yes, the octopus can release a cloud of ink if it feels threatened, ah but it doesn’t hide behind it, as is generally believed.

FEMALE PROFESSOR: Um the ink cloud is... it serves to distract a predator while the octopus makes its escape.

请问老师，这里的as是指代主句 it doesn’t hide behind it，还是指代主句中部分信息it  hide behind it，等于which.