Inspired by a recent New Scientist piece I thought I’d write something about these intriguing creatures.
They have tentacles, funny eyes, and built in water-jet propulsion. What’s not to like? Added to this, research suggests that they are very intelligent indeed. Their camoflage in particular is incredible.
The cuttlefish can make itself invisible against all natural backgrounds, and will do a fine job when presented with man-made ones too. Witness one test when it was found that they would align themselves to stripes painted on the back of a tank. Horizontal stripes saw them lying flat, vertical saw them raising tentacles to blend in. They can even generate a moving pattern over their skin to distract prey and confuse predators. Of course, there’s always the famous cloud of ink as a last resort.
If you see one in an aquarium it will manage to look deeply thoughtful. While I somehow doubt it is considering the mysteries of the universe (other than where the next meal is) there is a fascination to them. Apparently they will often respond to divers making the "peace" sign by raising a couple of tentacles in a similar manner. While this is an alarm signal rather than a response in kind, it is still somewhat astonishing that a squishy tentacled thing can recognise and respond to humans. These little chaps (and chapesses, although I have no idea how to tell the difference) could well have been the dominant life-form on this planet had evolution taken a slightly different turn.
Plus the baby ones are adorable. Look at those cute little tentacles!
