Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish are marine cephalopod mollusks in the order Sepiida. They change skin color and texture for camouflage and communication, and possess an internal cuttlebone that controls buoyancy.

Chromatophore: A pigment-containing skin organ whose muscles expand or contract it to change an animal’s visible color. Cuttlefish rapidly alter patterns by controlling these pigment organs.
Cephalopod: A class of mollusks that includes octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish share the group’s arms, large eyes, and active predatory lifestyle.
Dynamic camouflage: Camouflage that changes over time in response to surroundings or threats. Cuttlefish provide a leading biological example of rapid, actively controlled camouflage.
Common cuttlefish: Sepia officinalis, a large cuttlefish native to the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. This widely studied species has shaped research on cuttlefish learning and camouflage.
Octopus: A cephalopod mollusk with eight arms and no internal shell in living species. Unlike cuttlefish, octopuses lack a cuttlebone and often rely on den camouflage.
Iridophore: A reflective cell that produces structural colors through light interacting with layered materials. These cells add iridescent colors beneath the cuttlefish’s pigment patterns.
Sepiida: The cephalopod order containing living cuttlefish and their close extinct relatives. This order defines the taxonomic group to which cuttlefish belong.
Structural color: Color produced by microscopic structures that selectively reflect or scatter light. Cuttlefish skin uses reflective cells to produce colors beyond pigment alone.
Flamboyant cuttlefish: Metasepia pfefferi, a small Indo-Pacific cuttlefish known for conspicuous warning colors. Its vivid display contrasts with the subdued camouflage typical of many cuttlefish.
Squid: A cephalopod mollusk with an elongated body, eight arms, and two longer tentacles. Squid generally have a slender internal pen rather than the buoyant cuttlebone.

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