Fascinating creatures indeed bentley! Cuttlefish belong to the
Cephalopoda class and includes squid, octopuses, and
nautiluses). Although they are known as fish, they are mollusks
and not fish! Recent studies indicate that cuttlefish are among
the most intelligent invertebrates. Internationally there are
120 species of cuttlefish recognized. I am not sure how many
species are in South African waters though! Cuttlefish have
eight arms and two tentacles furnished with suckers, with which
they secure their prey. They have a life expectancy of
approximately 2 years and feed on small mollusks, crabs, shrimp,
fish, octopuses, worms, and other cuttlefish. They are being
preyed upon by dolphins, sharks, fish, seals and other
cuttlefish. Their cuttle-bones are porous and used for buoyancy
by changing the gas-to-liquid ratio in the chambered cuttle-
bone. Cuttlefish eyes are among the most developed in the animal
kingdom. The blood of a cuttlefish is an unusual shade of green-
blue. The reason for this is the fact that t