Cuttlefish

Despite their common name, cuttlefish are not fish at all but are relatives of squids and octopuses. They are skillful hunters, with an amazing ability to change color in a flash.

Cuttlefish hunt mainly at night, often lying halfburied in sand or mud during the day. Even when active, they spend most of their time near the seafloor, swimming slowly by rippling the fins running down their sides. They can also move faster by squirting water out through a tube beneath the head. Inside the flattened body of

a cuttlefish is a lightweight structure called a cuttlebone.The cuttlefish can store air in the cuttlebone to make itself lighter in the water.

Cuttlefish can speedily change the colors and patterns on their skin, either to camouflage themselves or to signal to other cuttlefish. They do this by sending nerve signals to color-containing cells in the skin.

Feeding and Breeding

Like its squid relatives, a cuttlefish has ten flexible arms, or tentacles, around its head.The two longest arms are usually tucked out of sight. A cuttlefish can spot prey at a distance using its good eyesight. Once within range, it shoots out its long arms with lightning speed to grab the prey. The cuttlefish has a horny beak, allowing it to chop its victim into small pieces.

During the breeding season cuttlefish gather in groups. Male and female mate head to head, gripping each other with their arms. The females then lay eggs attached to objects such as rocks on the seabed. Young cuttlefish look like miniature versions of their parents. After the breeding season is over, the adults die.