Cuttlefish are animals of the order Sepiida, and
are marine cephalopods, small relatives of squids and nautilus.
Cuttlefish have an internal shell, large eyes, and ten arms furnished with denticulated suckers, by means of which it secures
its prey. The name is sometimes applied to dibranchiate cephalopods generally.
Cuttlefish are caught for food, though squid is more popular. They are probably best known today for the shoehorn shaped piece of tough material given to
parakeets as a bill-sharpener and source of dietary calcium. Called the cuttlebone, it is composed of calcium carbonate and is porous to provide the cuttlefish with buoyancy.
Cuttlefish are sometimes called the chameleon of the sea because of their
remarkable ability to rapidly alter their skin color. Their skin flashes a fast-changing pattern as communication to other
individual of the same species, as well as serving as camouflage from
predators.
Cuttlefish have ink, like squids. This ink was formerly an important dye, called sepia. Today artificial dyes have replaced natural sepia.
Like octopuses, cuttlefish have been successfully raised as pets in home aquariums, though even their bare necessities are
significant. In particular, cuttlefish need a minimum amount of sea water in
proportion to their body size, their tank needs to be cleaned every time they ink, they cannot tolerate abrupt changes in
light levels, and they cannot coexist with other animals, and rarely ever with other cuttlefish. All other animals of comparable
or smaller size, including other cuttlefish, are instinctively seen as food.
Domestic cuttlefish are very reminiscent of domestic cats, even
exhibiting cat-like habits such as resting, pouncing on moving prey, begging owners for food, and even begging for more food than
they need or is healthy for them. Like cats, cuttlefish are not truly tame, but rather
tolerate and cooperate with their owners to live a comfortable life. But unlike cats, cuttlefish will try to eat other
cuttlefish.
Classification
There are 119 species currently recognised, grouped into 5 genera. Sepiadariidae contains seven species and 2
genera. All the rest ar in Sepiidae.
|
