Common Cuttlefish

Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis).
The common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). Credit: Roger Hanlon

The common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is part of the cephalopod class that includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. The common cuttlefish has eight arms and two long tentacles for capturing prey. These tentacles can be retracted completely into the body. All cuttlefish have a chalky white internal shell known as a cuttlebone, which is filled with gas and used for buoyancy control. They also have a fin all the way around their mantle.

Their name may be “common,” but the common cuttlefish is a master of camouflage and can produce many appearances. Their camouflage abilities are due to special color-changing organs in their skin called chromatophores. Chromatophores act as pixels across the cuttlefish’s body, changing their size to alter the pattern and color on the animal’s skin.

Scientific Name: Sepia officinalis

Type: Cephalopod
Habitat: Sandy sea floor
Range: Eastern Atlantic Ocean from England to Northwest Africa, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea
Life Span in the Wild: 1-2 years
Size: 7 to 12 inches, with large males reaching up to 19 inches
Diet: Crabs, shrimp, fish
Status: Species of least concern

Did you know that the dark-brown ink of the common cuttlefish, known as “sepia,” used to be used extensively for writing and drawing?

Camouflage in Cuttlefish
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) blending in with its surroundings off the coast of Turkey. Credit: Roger Hanlon
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) blending in with its surroundings off the coast of Turkey. Credit: Roger Hanlon
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) blending in with its surroundings off the coast of Turkey. Credit: Roger Hanlon
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) blending in with its surroundings off the coast of Turkey. Credit: Roger Hanlon
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) changes its coloring and texture to match a plain sandy bottom in the Hanlon Lab. Credit: Roger Hanlon
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) changes its coloring and texture to match a plain sandy bottom in the Hanlon Lab. Credit: Roger Hanlon
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) changes its coloring and texture to match a sandy bottom with white shells in the Hanlon Lab. Credit: Roger Hanlon
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) changes its coloring and texture to match a sandy bottom with white shells in the Hanlon Lab. Credit: Roger Hanlon
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) changes its coloring and texture to match a rocky bottom in the Hanlon Lab. Credit: Roger Hanlon
A common cuttlefish (S. officinalis) changes its coloring and texture to match a rocky bottom in the Hanlon Lab. Credit: Roger Hanlon
Common Cuttlefish and the MBL

MBL Senior Scientist Roger Hanlon is a leading expert on cephalopod camouflage. His lab was the first to describe the structure, function, and biomechanics of the skin-morphing papillae in cuttlefish that allow the animal to change the 3D texture of its skin. By changing the patterns and backgrounds around the cuttlefish, scientists in the Hanlon Lab are investigating how well S. officinalis can change the color, pattern, contrast, and 3D physical texture of their skin to match their surroundings.

Learn more about the Hanlon Lab
In the Hanlon Lab, researchers are studying the camouflage ability of the common cuttlefish by changing the "environment" of the animals and watching them change their color and texture to match. Credit: Hanlon Lab
Cephalopod News