Camilla’s Gifts and Talents
Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence is the production of light by a living organism. It is called “cold light,” because less that 20% of the light generates heat. Living things might produce light to attract a mate, warn a predator or to attract prey. Some jellyfish and squid are bioluminescent, as are anglerfish, lanternfish, algae, fireflies, glow worms and some mushrooms.
Buoyancy
The cuttlefish’s body allows it to live and hover near the ocean bottom where it finds its favorite food. An outer shell once covered the cuttlefish’s body but has evolved into a porous internal shell called a cuttlebone. The cuttlebone is hard and brittle and has different chambers that can fill with gas or water. It is used to control buoyancy. If the cuttlebone is filled with gas, the cuttlefish can rise higher in the water. If gas is released and water enters the cuttlebone, the cuttlefish can easily sink deeper in the water. Because flamboyant cuttlefish have small cuttlebones, they can float only for a short time.
When a cuttlefish dies, only the cuttlebone remains, and it will often wash up on a beach. Some people use cuttlebones as a calcium-rich dietary supplement for pet birds, hermit crabs, chinchillas, reptiles, shrimp and snails. Powder form ground cuttlebones used to be added to toothpaste and cuttlebones were used in the 19th century as an artistic carving tool.
When a cuttlefish dies, only the cuttlebone remains, and it will often wash up on a beach. Some people use cuttlebones as a calcium-rich dietary supplement for pet birds, hermit crabs, chinchillas, reptiles, shrimp and snails. Powder form ground cuttlebones used to be added to toothpaste and cuttlebones were used in the 19th century as an artistic carving tool.
Many Ways to Move Quickly!
A cuttlefish uses jet propulsion to swim through the water quickly. The cuttlefish sucks water into its mantle cavity and then pushes it out quickly through its siphon to generate thrust. The cuttlefish also has soft undulating fins that look like a flowy skirt around the mantle. The skirt allows the cuttlefish to move in all directions, forward, backward, upward, and downward. These fins move more freely than fish fins because they lack both bony and cartilaginous supports. The controlled buoyancy, the ability to swim in all directions, and the jet propulsions make many cuttlefish excellent swimmers. Unlike many of its relatives, the flamboyant cuttlefish prefers to “walk” along the seafloor rather than swim. It uses two arms and fins to make leg-like appendages to quietly creep across the seafloor.
Quick Reflexes and a Tight Grip!
Flamboyant cuttlefish can capture prey up to three body lengths away using two long, elastic feeding tentacles. These tentacles have suckers at the ends that stick to the prey. The cuttlefish uses its tentacles to quickly reach out and strike its target and bring it to its beak. The cuttlefish's eight arms are specialized for grasping prey once the tentacles have seized the prey and brought to the beak.
Most other cephalopods are nocturnal, but flamboyant cuttlefish are active during the day and can be seen hunting crustaceans and small fishes.
Most other cephalopods are nocturnal, but flamboyant cuttlefish are active during the day and can be seen hunting crustaceans and small fishes.
Superior Intelligence and Hypnotic Coloration!
Cuttlefish have large brains in proportion to their body size and are capable of complex problem-solving and learning from experience. They have also been observed exhibiting surprising cognitive abilities, such as short-term memory, counting, and even communication through their skin patterns. Cuttlefish are among the most intelligent invertebrates known to science.
The cuttlefish brain is shaped like a donut. This shape is very effective for linking information between their two large eyes. The squid’s esophagus runs through the center of the brain so everything the cuttlefish eats must pass through its brain.
Cuttlefish use their impressive intelligence and camouflage abilities to outsmart predators. Unlike other cuttlefish species, the flamboyant cuttlefish doesn’t dart away when threatened. It remains stationary, flashing its hypnotic color scheme and pulsing its fins. If necessary, the flamboyant cuttlefish can also squirt ink from its siphon to confuse predators.
Its bold coloration and behavior may be a warning sign to predators. Flamboyant cuttlefishes are highly poisonous. They are the only species of cuttlefish that are toxic, and some scientists believe their toxin to be as lethal as that of blue-ringed octopuses.
The cuttlefish brain is shaped like a donut. This shape is very effective for linking information between their two large eyes. The squid’s esophagus runs through the center of the brain so everything the cuttlefish eats must pass through its brain.
Cuttlefish use their impressive intelligence and camouflage abilities to outsmart predators. Unlike other cuttlefish species, the flamboyant cuttlefish doesn’t dart away when threatened. It remains stationary, flashing its hypnotic color scheme and pulsing its fins. If necessary, the flamboyant cuttlefish can also squirt ink from its siphon to confuse predators.
Its bold coloration and behavior may be a warning sign to predators. Flamboyant cuttlefishes are highly poisonous. They are the only species of cuttlefish that are toxic, and some scientists believe their toxin to be as lethal as that of blue-ringed octopuses.
Camouflage and Colorful Behavior!
Flamboyant cuttlefish live up to their colorful name. They often display creative and elaborate patterns of bright colors across their skin, and they can change their skin pattern and texture in the blink of an eye to blend in with their surroundings. This camouflage is directed by what the cuttlefish sees, and its brain responds by controlling hundreds of thousands of cellular pixels, called chromatophores, in its skin. Cuttlefish can instantaneously change the patterns and texture of their skin to blend with their surroundings and avoid being seen. Sometimes they even pretend to be other things such as algae or rocks. For this reason, flamboyant cuttlefish are sometimes called “the chameleons of the sea.” They use their camouflage abilities to hunt, to avoid predators, and to communicate.
Excellent Vision
The pupil is the part of the eye that allows light to enter. While humans have round pupils, the pupil of the cuttlefish is “W” shaped. The unique shape of the pupil helps the cuttlefish to see well in low light and to detect polarized light. The “W” shaped pupil helps control the intensity of light entering the eye and it helps the cuttlefish to judge distance and speed. Cuttlefish can also swivel their eyes to see in all directions.