Marine life in Gozo – Cuttlefish
As it is currently a great time to spot Cuttlefish in Gozo, we will take a closer look at this master of camouflage.
The Cuttlefish is not actually a fish as its name suggests. Instead, the Cuttlefish belongs to a family of intelligent invertebrates called Cephalopods. Relatives include the Octopus, Squid and Nautilus. All Cephalopods have 3 hearts. Perhaps that is why I love them so much.
Spotting one of these incredible creatures on a dive is always a highlight (check out one of our recent sightings in a short clip here).
Cephalopod translates to ‘head foot’, which was given due to the fact that the Cuttlefish has eight arms and two tentacles are attached to the head. The ‘body’ or mantle behind the head is surrounded by a thin skirt like fin which ripples as it moves around. This makes the cuttlefish seem incredibly graceful and controlled, moving in a unique and hypnotic way.
This graceful movement is also due to the incredible buoyancy that Cuttlefish possess, primarily due to the cuttlebone. This ‘bone’ is porous, allowing the animal to change levels of liquid and gas within it, changing buoyancy. Much like we do as divers really, although not nearly as elegant or efficiently!
Should the Cuttlefish need to move quickly they do have the advantage of jet propulsion, pushing water from 2 jets either side of the head to initiate rapid bursts of speed.
They are also incredibly successful hunters, feeding on small fish and crustaceans primarily. They use their tentacles and a sharp strong beak to immobilise then kill and eat a range of prey.
Cuttlefish are also famous for their incredible intelligence. One of the reasons for this is they have an incredible brain to body ratio, with the largest brain in relation to the size of their body of any invertebrate.
It is understood that they can count and even make decisions on where to hunt by remembering exactly where they last ate. This is incredibly rare in the natural world.
Another thing that is always absolutely amazing witness underwater is the Cuttlefishes ability to camouflage, changing colours, texture, even with the ability to mimic other animals or plant life.
These masters of camouflage have 10 million colour cells within the skin, which they can control to immediately change colour, texture and pattern. This allows them to blend seamlessly into the surrounding to avoid predators. Not only that, but it allows them to communicate with other cuttlefish, mimic other species to avoid predators themselves, or to confuse their own prey. As a diver it is always mesmerising to see the incredible show that cuttlefish can put on, effortlessly morphing from one shape, to another, from one colour to another. Magical.
It is interesting that although these creative cephalopods work so wonderfully with colour, they are in fact colour blind.
The large eyes with w shape pupils are incredible detecting polarised light, adding a dimension to their vision that we do not possess. They also allow the cuttlefish to see with incredible range of vision, seeing almost completely behind them. This certainly creates a unique perspective on the underwater world.
Looking to come and see some of the rich, diverse marine life that Gozo has to offer? Get in touch with us for some information on your next dive trip.
