Cuttlefish
About Cuttlefish :
Cuttlefish are aquatic animals. They belong to the order Sepiida and class of Cephalopoda , which also consists of squid, nautiluses, and octopuses. In spite of their name, cuttlefish are not fish but mollusks. Current studies indicate that cuttlefish are amongst the most intelligent invertebrates. Cuttlefish also have one of the biggest brains.
Anatomy :
Cuttlefish have an internal shell known as the cuttlebone. The cuttlebone is exclusive to cuttlefish, one of the features that discriminate them from their squid relatives. Big pupils, with eight arms and two tentacles furnished with denticulate suckers, with which they lock their prey. They usually range in size from 16 cm to 27 cm, with the biggest species, Sepia apama, attaining 55 cm in mantle length and over 11 kg in weight
Diet :
Cuttlefish eat small crabs, brine shrimp, molluscs fish, worms, octopuses, and other cuttlefish. Their predators include seals dolphin’s sharks, big fish, and other big cuttlefish. Their life expectation is about one to three years.
Breeding :
They usually breed from April to August. This is the time they come nearer to the surface and thus can be seen. A courting and mate ship dance ends with the male fish and female fish by entwining their tentacles jointly. Hundred of eggs are then laid a small time often on little coral caves or on pebbly reefs further south. The eggs take few months to hatch.
Facts about the Cuttlefish :
The cuttlefish has tentacles along with a layer that has a calcium based 'cuttlebone', which helps to give shape to their body. The cuttlefish also has two fins, which drape around the mantle. This starts just after the head, on each side of the body. The eyes of the cuttlefish poke out from the front of the face. The cuttlefish are also known as the chameleon of the sea. They have a great skill to change their pattern for different purposes. The change of coloration is due to the particular cells called chromatophores. The cells alter colors when the individual cells enlarge or contract.
Pet Cuttlefish :
Cuttlefishes are sharp and extremely cute and adorable sea animals and can be controlled easily. They mainly feed on crustaceans such as small fish and shrimps. They prefer live food. They are opportunistic predators. They may also feed on other fish in the tank.
The Giant cuttlefish :
The Giant Australian Cuttlefish scientifically known as Sepia apama is found in waters from less than a meter deep, possibly around 100 m off Southern Australia. Australian Giant Cuttlefish is considered as a solitary creature. It is also the largest type of cuttlefish increasing up to a length of 2 meter and weigh up to 4 kg. They have a huge flat wide head with 2 big eyes with 8 tentacles or arms and 2 extendable feeding arms rising from their head. The 2 feeding tentacles which are used for feeding pull back into pouches among the bases of the third and fourth arm pairs. Along their sides they have slim fins. They respire like fish through gills.
Flamboyant cuttlefish :
Flamboyant Cuttlefish is scientifically known as Metasepia pfefferi. It is a type of cuttlefish occurring in tropical Indo-Pacific waters, southern New Guinea, as well as various islands of the Indonesia and Malaysia. Australia revealed that this unique species of cuttlefish is venomous.
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