CUTTLEFISH ARE NOT FISH

Like several other ocean animals that have ‘fish’ in their name (jellyfish, starfish, etc.), cuttlefish are not fish, but rather invertebrates. Like all invertebrates, cuttlefish have no backbone.  cuttlefish belong to the scientific phylum of mollusk.

CUTTLEFISH ARE CEPHALOPODS

Their closest relatives are octopus, squid, and nautilus.   Cephalopods share unique characteristics like the ability to change the color and texture of their skin, to squirt ink when evading a predator or stressful situation, to use arms and tentacles surrounding a beak to catch their prey, and to move through the water via jet-propulsion.

THEY CONTROL THEIR BUOYANCY LIKE DIVERS

Cuttlefish have a long oval-shaped cuttlebone. This actually allows cuttlefish to control their buoyancy by regulating the gas-to-liquid ratio within the pores in the bone. Cuttlefish are able to move up and down in the water column smoothly and nearly effortlessly – just like divers with their BCDs!

Huge Brains

 Cuttlefish have one of the largest brains of any invertebrate. They are highly intelligent.  The cuttlefish brain can process input from senses like sight, smell, and even ‘sound’ in the form of pressure waves. They are curious about divers. You can approach them if you are slow and deliberate. 

Whether they’re hiding, hunting, fighting, or mating, cuttlefish  have the ability to light up different parts of their bodies and make crazy intricate color and texture patterns on their skin. I have footage at the shop that looks like a video screen on the side of a Splendid Cuttlefish in the Philippines.