Dorset Wildlife Trust
The Deceptive Cuttlefi sh
The closest most people come to a cuttlefi sh is when their white ‘bones’ wash up on beaches after rough weather.
These are the evolutionary remains of the animal’s shell, as cuttlefi sh are molluscs, relatives of the snails in your garden. Way
back in the evolutionary past, their protective shell was internalised and then evolved into the cuttlefi sh bone, which is used to provide the animal with buoyancy in the sea. By regulating how much gas the bone contains they can move up or down in the water without having to expend energy on swimming. If you pick one up it feels light.
Cuttlefi sh bones are not the only thing that makes this animal extraordinary. They are recognised as intelligent animals, indeed, research has shown that they can be more intelligent than cats and dogs. Capable of counting at an equivalent level as a four year old child, they can also solve puzzles, negotiate mazes and plan ahead.
Research has now revealed that these remarkable animals can use deception to get what they want – something that only a handful of species, including ourselves, are known to do. Cuttlefi sh communicate using the colours and patterns on their skin, which they can change instantaneously. This is especially used in courtship, when males compete for a female. Male cuttlefi sh have been fi lmed displaying female patterning on one side
DORSET WILDLIFE TRUST
Common Cuttlefi sh © JHatcher
of their body (where a competing male can see it) whilst at the same time displaying to the female on their other side that he is an interested male. By deceiving the male cuttlefi sh into believing it is a female and therefore no threat, it avoids a physical battle, whilst at the same time giving the female his ‘come hither’ signals.
While divers regularly encounter and interact with cuttlefi sh in our coastal waters, most people do not have the opportunity to meet these most interesting of animals. However at the Fine Foundation Wild Seas Centre in Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset Wildlife Trust has a baby cuttlefi sh in its aquarium. It is one that washed ashore as an egg and subsequently hatched in the aquarium where it has been growing rapidly ready for release.
Find out more information about our centres, reserves and projects at the Dorset Wildlife Trust at:
www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk
Julie Hatcher Wild Seas Centre Offi cer, Dorset Wildlife Trust
Please mention The Corfe Mullen Link when responding to adverts
51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
