Cuttlefish are amazing creatures because of their ability to change body colour so as to hide and they are often known as the chameleon of the sea.
They are of relative size compared to other fish and have smooth skin that can vary in colour from white, pink, brown, orange, yellow, blue, red and green. Although they are called fish, they are actually molluscs which are the species the same as octopus and squid.
There are currently 120 known species of cuttlefish across the world. They have the highest brain to body ratio of any invertebrate creature and are extremely intelligent creatures.
Cuttlefish are found in large groups in warm and cold waters across the world. Cuttlefish generally measure between 15-50cm depending on the species and weigh in at over 10.5kg. Cuttlefish have a lifespan of between 1-2 years.
They have an internal shell which is unique to them called the cuttlebone and this is what gives them buoyancy. They are able to change their colour very quickly and adapt their own camouflage depending on the habitat they are in.
Cuttlefish can be hiding close to the sand and appear as the colour of the sand and then move close to the rocks and appear as their colour as well.
They have large pupeakhabaar that have a W shape which is very sophisticated as although they cannot see colour, they are able to perceive the colourisation of light which enables them to see contrasts.
Their eyes are thought to be fully developed even before they are born and they start observing their environment whilst they are still in their eggs. They have 8 arms and 2 tentacles that have suckers on them which they use to catch their prey.
Their suckers extend to their arm’s length along the distal portion of their tentacles.
Cuttlefish are carnivores and they eat crabs, smaller molluscs, worms, octopus, fish and shrimp. Their main predators are sharks and larger fish as well as other types of cuttlefish and they have the ability to flash colour from their bodies when they fight off a mate.
Cuttlefish have an ink sack which they can draw upon and fire ink at their predators to fool them just like Octopus and Squid can do. This ink is called sepia ink and has been used in a painting by humans before it was replaced by artificial sepia ink.