Common cuttlefish

Natural history

Like their octopus kin, a cuttlefish hides from enemies with camouflage and clouds of ink. A cuttlefish can change skin color, pattern, and texture almost instantly. They use a combination of  chromatophores (pigmented skin cells), iridophores (reflective skin cells), and papillae (muscles under the skin) to create different patterns for camouflage, stalking prey, courting mates, and fighting rivals. They can even split their colorful display down the middle to court a mate on one side of their body and ward off a rival on the other side!

All cuttlefishes have a chalky white internal shell known as a cuttlebone which is filled with gas and used for buoyancy control. Each cuttlefish has one long lateral fin that ripples down and around the entire mantle–a cuttlefish’s main body cavity behind the head. The motion of this mesmerizing skirt-like fin gives cuttlefish the freedom to swim in any direction.

Female cuttlefish lay large clumps of grape-shaped eggs in shallow water. Each egg is coated in inky jelly, coloring the eggs black. The Aquarium has raised several generations of cuttlefish from egg bunches!

Common cuttlefish can live in water between 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and are directly impacted by the temperature in the environment. Their eggs take between 1 to 3 months to hatch depending on water temperature. They grow slower in colder water, which increases their lifespans. In warm water, they grow faster and reproduce quickly but don’t live as long. 

Conservation

Cuttlefish have been heavily fished in the Mediterranean since then International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed them as a species of Least Concern in 2009. They remain an important part of cephalopod fisheries in many countries. They're highly-valued food items in Japan, Korea, Italy and Spain, sold both fresh and frozen. Cuttlefish have been heavily fished in the Mediterranean in recent years.

This direct link between cuttlefish growth and development and the temperature in their environment raises scientific questions about how populations will be affected by ocean warming and climate change. Our knowledge of how humans impact species like cuttlefish is always growing. Scientists observed a unique cuttlefish response to ocean acidification, in which their cuttlebones grow denser as they encounter more acidic ocean conditions. 

By standing up for science and working together, we can discover more solutions to pollution, overfishing, and other threats to ocean life.

Cool facts

• Without this cuttlefish, many great works of art and literature wouldn't exist! The dark-brown ink of the common cuttlefish called sepia was once used extensively for writing and drawing.
• Of all cephalopods, cuttlefishes are capable of the most dramatic color and pattern changes. Common cuttlefish often display moving zebra stripes over their bodies and arms.
• Cuttlebones have long been used as an inexpensive dietary supplement for birds. They’re a great source of minerals and calcium, which help birds with bone formation and blood clotting, as well as beak maintenance.