| Common cuttlefish | |
|---|---|
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| Common cuttlefish inArrábida Natural Park, Portugal | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Sepiida |
| Family: | Sepiidae |
| Genus: | Sepia |
| Subgenus: | Sepia |
| Species: | S. officinalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Sepia officinalis | |
| Synonyms | |
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Thecommon cuttlefish orEuropean common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is one of the largest and best-knowncuttlefish species. They are a migratory species that spend the summer and spring inshore for spawning and then move to depths of 100–200 metres (330–660 ft) during autumn and winter.[2] They grow to 49 centimetres (19 in) inmantle length and 4 kilograms (8.8 lb) in weight.[3] Animals from subtropical seas are smaller and rarely exceed 30 centimetres (12 in) in mantle length.[4]
The common cuttlefish is native to at least theMediterranean Sea,North Sea, andBaltic Sea, although subspecies have been proposed as far south asSouth Africa. It lives on sand and mud seabeds and it can tolerate brackish water conditions.[5][6]
It is unknown where thetype specimen ofS. officinalis was collected, as the location is given simply as "Oceano". It is deposited in theLinnean Society of London.[7]
Sepia officinalis jurujubaiOliveira, 1940, originally described as asubspecies of the common cuttlefish, is ajunior synonym ofSepioteuthis sepioidea.[8]
The common cuttlefish is one of the largest species of cuttlefish with amantle length reaching up to 45 cm and amass of 4 kg on a presumed male, although this is for an exceptional specimen in temperate waters; specimens in subtropical waters rarely surpass a mantle length of 30 cm and 2 kg in mass. The mantle houses the reproductive and digestive tracts of the cuttlefish and is also home to an internal shell called thecuttlebone, located on thedorsal side of the animal.[2] The common cuttlefish has two highly developed eyes, eight arms which are located around the mouth and are used to hold and manipulate prey, two specializedfeeding tentacles which are used toambush prey, and abeak housing aradula used inbreaking down and consuming their (often armored) prey.[9] Cuttlefish move by undulating fins on the periphery of their mantle, but when startled they often jet away using asiphon,inking in the process.
Cuttlefish are well known for their unmatchedcamouflaging abilities which are possible due a variety of specialized cells; pigmentedchromatophore organs, light scattering leucophores, and structurally reflecting iridophores in theirskin work in concert to conceal the cuttlefish in its environment.[10] They not only are able to swiftly change their colour and patterns, but can also use peripheralmuscles to change thetexture of their skin. Their camouflaging abilities are categorized into four main types including mottle, stipple, uniform, and disruptive.[11] Cuttlefish possess these camouflaging abilities from before hatching; a cuttlefish can visibly manipulate its chromatophores from within its clear-membraned egg.[12]
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During the day, most cuttlefish can be found buried below the substrate and fairly inactive. At night however, they are actively searching for prey and can ambush them from under the substrate.[citation needed] Cuttlefish are carnivorous and eat a variety of organisms including crustaceans (crabs andshrimp), small demersal fish, molluscs (clams andsnails), and sometimesother cuttlefish which is more commonly seen when the abundance of other prey is low.[9]
A 2008 study onS. officinalis[13] revealed that cuttlefish embryos, if visually exposed to a certain species of prey (e.g.crabs), will hunt primarily for that prey in later life.S. officinalis usually prefer shrimp to crabs, but when the embryos were exposed to crabs and the embryos had hatched, the young cuttlefish switched preferences and proceeded to hunt the crabs more often than the shrimp.[14]
Cuttlefish reach sexual maturity between 14 and 18 months of age. During breeding season, which occurs during spring, summer, and sometimes early autumn, large gatherings of male cuttlefish willdisplay a highlycontrasting black and whitezebra pattern on their mantle to attract females and females will display a uniform grey colour to indicate they are ready to mate. Cuttlefish males carry up to 1400spermatophores to the female and the female carries between 150 and 4000 eggs depending on her body mass. The female attaches the egg mass to seaweed, shells, or other substrates to prevent it from drifting away; the eggs incubate for 30 or 90 days, depending on temperature, until they hatch into miniature versions of the adults. Cuttlefish live up to 2 years of age; alarge number of them die after spawning.[2][1][15]
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Cuttlefish have many predators includingsharks, coastaldolphins,seals, large fish such assparids, andcephalopods which includesother cuttlefish. They have a number ofanti-predator adaptations; their primary means is camouflage, sitting concealed while a predator passes them by. If located, a cuttlefish will jet away using its siphon, and will often ink; a cuttlefish has avariety of ink types that it can use depending on its situation.[9][16][1][15]
The egg masses of the common cuttlefish are also attacked and consumed by predators; an experiment determined that a variety of marine invertebrates, including themurex sea snails,european lobster,rock crabs,sea urchins,Squilla mantis, andsea stars ate common cuttlefish egg masses.[17]
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Sepia officinalis is a species that is commonly fished in the Mediterranean, including countries like Greece and Spain. Although it is fished extensively and wild stocks in some regions are close to being over-exploited, population numbers are not declining and the species is of Least Concern on the list of threatened species.[1] Cuttlefish in general have many uses, thus they have a large commercial value.Sepia officinalis is a popular food item in its native range, and mediterranean languages have numerous names for cuttlefish.[15][18] The mantle is the main cut eaten; it is processed into a multitude of dishes after the cuttlebone and guts are removed. The head including the tentacles are also processed into a variety of dishes; thebuccal mass including the beak are often removed beforehand.[citation needed]
Cuttlefish ink is believed to have many beneficial health effects includinganti-inflammatory,anti-oxidant,antimicrobial,anti-hypertensive,anti-retroviral, and potentialanticancer properties.[19] The ink itself is aningredient in food, staining the dish to a deep black coloration. Another common use for cuttlefish ink is as a pigment; the colorsepia is named after the common cuttlefish, and it is extracted from its ink sac.[19]
Cuttlebones are commonly sold forpetparrots because they provide a good source of calcium, help keep a bird's beak trimmed, improve jaw strength, and provide entertainment for the bird.[20] Some reptile species may also take cuttlebones for calcium and enrichment.[citation needed]
