Marine cephalopods with W-shaped pupils, eight arms and two tentacles, and an internal shell, the cuttlebone, that controls buoyancy. They change colour, pattern and skin shape to hide and to signal.
Quick answers
What is it?Mollusc
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
Caught for food in the Mediterranean, Asia and the English Channel; dried shredded cuttlefish is a snack in East Asia.
At a glance
Found inOceans
HabitatOpen ocean, Coast
ColoursBrown, White, Purple
SizeSmall
LengthUsually 15–25 cm; up to 50 cm (giant cuttlefish)
LegsNone
Covered inSkin
Lives alone
Lives for1–2 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- What it eats
- Small molluscs, crabs, shrimp, fish, octopuses and other cuttlefish.
Did you know
Changes colour, pattern and even skin texture to hide or signal.
A cuttlefish usually lives only one to two years.
Often confused with
- Squid
Cuttlefish, squid and octopuses are cephalopods; the cuttlefish has an internal cuttlebone.
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