Aliens On Earth
The Cuttlefish
Introduction
Who here has heard of the cuttlefish or the sepiida .Well they're both the same thing. The cuttlefish is the non-scientific name while sepiida is the scientific name. The cuttlefish is in the mollusc group or the cephalopod species. That means soft bodied animal with no spine. Molluscs include slugs, snails, squids, and octopi.
Appearance
A cuttlefish looks like an alien to most. I do agree why. They have eight tentacles coming out of their head, along with two longer tentacles for grabbing prey. Their average size is 1-20 in , and 2-10 lbs. They have W shaped pupils for good vision. The cuttlefish has no specific colour as they can change this at will. Did you know they can change the texture of their skin as well. This helps them look more like coral. (for sneaking up on prey.)Also when they are four months old cuttlefish can already change colour and produce bumps. They evolved their skin for communication, self defense, mating and tricking prey.
On the inside of the cuttlefishes body they have doughnut shaped brains, three hearts and blue blood. The cuttlefish can also spray ink.
Habitat
There are two places the cuttlefish lives in greater numbers. The most southern part of the Indian ocean, (right under Australia) and around Indonesia in the pacific ocean. They do live in other places just not in big numbers.
Eating
The cuttlefish is flesh eating or a carnivore. They eat a lot of things, most smaller than themselves. They eat crab, shrimp, lobster and each other. An interesting fact is they can only eat crab and lobster from behind, so that when they put them in their mouth the pincers don't pinch them. Did you know that their favorite food is crab. also they can tell real from fake and live from dead. Since the cuttlefish knows live from dead it prefers live. Did you know that people eat them as well as dolphins, seals, some birds and more.
Mating
The cuttlefish like all other species impress the females to mate. But being a cuttlefish they don't fight physically, rather resort to COLOUR SHOWS!!!! Did you know that when the cuttlefish comes out of the egg they're only the size of your thumbnail! Also to get out of the egg they have to spray an acid that melts a hole big enough to swim through. after this use they can no longer spray this acid ,rather the cuttlefish can then spray ink. After mating the cuttlefish will die. Did you know the female could mate with up to three males in the mating season.
The coolest part about cuttlefish mating season is , when there is a small male he will act like a female. He will do this because the females think this is smart. Another interesting thing about the cuttlefish, is 70% of the big males will get rejected while only 30% of the small males will be rejected.
Mating
The cuttlefish was not rejected by the female.
fighting with colour
These are some big males fighting(with colour shows).
cuttlefish eggs.
These are cuttlefish eggs. All cuttlefish stay in the egg till around 4 months.
How Their colour works
The cuttlefish can change their colour because of their "electric skin". Electric skin means the cuttlefish sees something, it goes to the brain, and then to each individual pigment sac. This is the fastest way to control according to scientist. Did you know they can produce many different colours with their groups of blue, red, brown, and black pigmented chormatophores .
Cuttlefish have two ways to produce colours.
The first way is the pigment sacs. There are three layers of pigment sacs. The first is yellow, then red, and then brown. These pigment sacs can produce colour because muscles are attached, theses muscles are then pulled out which flattens the colour so that you see it through their skin. Then the muscles let go ,and the pigment sac goes back to its tiny, tiny ball of pigment.
The second way the cuttlefish produces colour is using their reflecting cells. These reflecting cells catch the light to make blue, green, pink, and orange. Under that is a white base and voilà, that's how the cuttlefish produces colour. When threatened they camouflage themselves or in dangers situations change colour to appear poisons.
Pigment
Can you see them
CAN YOU SEE THE PIGMENTED CHROMATOPHORES?
RED
This little guy turned all his pigmented chormatophores red.
Rainbow
This cuttlefish is using almost every colour it can make.
Cool Facts!
What We Use Them For
Fresh
Cuttlebone
Cuttlefish Soup
Look!
Look!
Hypnosis
References
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- "Cuttlefish Camouflage by J.K. Wickiser." Cuttlefish Camouflage by J.K. Wickiser. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/32351.php?from=185551>. (tags: none | edit tags)
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- "Cuttlefish Stock Photos | Cuttlefish Images Pictures." Cuttlefish Stock Photos | Cuttlefish Images Pictures. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://www.oceanwideimages.com/categories.asp?cID=64>. (tags: none | edit tags)
- "Cuttlefish – The Kings of Camouflage (Documentary)." Karma Jello. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://karmajello.com/universe/animals/cuttlefish-kings-camouflage.html>. (tags: none | edit tags)
- "Cuttlefish – The Kings of Camouflage (Documentary)." Karma Jello. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://karmajello.com/universe/animals/cuttlefish-kings-camouflage.html>. (tags: none | edit tags)
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- "Video -- World's Deadliest: Hypnosis Attack -- National Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/invertebrates-animals/octopus-and-squid/deadliest-cuttlefish-hypnosis/>. (tags: none | edit tags)
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