Titles: Giant cuttlefish, Australian giant cuttlefish.

Area: waters around the south coast of Australia - New South Wales, parts of Tasmania to Ningaloo, Western Australia.

Description: The giant cuttlefish is the largest of all cuttlefish species. Vision is acute, because the eyes are similar in structure to human eyes. Can change the shape of the lens. Some individuals suffer from color blindness. The mouth consists of a beak (similar to a parrot's), jaws, and a rough tongue. The cuttlefish's body is oval (up to 25 cm long), flattened. The fins are located on the sides in the form of a narrow bony fringe that stretches along the entire body. The fins are separated at the rear end of the body. The internal calcareous shell (up to 60 cm long), in the form of a wide plate, is located under the mantle on the back. The grasping tentacles are long, retracted entirely into special sac-like pits; the remaining eight "arms" are short and surround the mouth and beak. The "hands" are equipped with suction cups. The fourth left “arm” of males differs in its structure and is used for fertilization. Male cuttlefish are larger in size than females. Three hearts. The central nervous system is highly developed. The protective function is performed by the ink sac - a pear-shaped outgrowth of the rectum filled with liquid containing black pigment. The coloring ability of this liquid is unusually high; for example, in 5 seconds it colors water in a tank with a capacity of up to 5.5 thousand liters. The blood of a giant cuttlefish is blue-green.

Color: depends on mood (stress, readiness to reproduce, fear) and environment. The cuttlefish changes color very quickly, which is why the cuttlefish is called the “chameleon of the sea.” This is explained by the presence in their skin of cells with various pigments that, under the influence of impulses from the central nervous system, can stretch or shrink, depending on the perception of the senses. At a moment of extreme excitement ( mating season, attack on prey), the cuttlefish’s body begins to cast a metallic sheen, and its back is covered with many luminous dots.

Size: up to 1-1.5 m in length.

Weight: about 15 kg.

Lifespan: 2-3 years.

Habitat: coastal waters of tropical and subtropical seas (reefs, algae, caves). Depth range 0-50 meters. The giant cuttlefish stays near the bottom, hides on the ground, throwing sand or silt on its back and changing the color of its back.

Enemies: seals, rays, sharks, dolphins, fish, other cuttlefish.

Food/food: The cuttlefish is a smart hunter, attacks from ambush, or uses its tentacles to lure prey. Hunts at night for crustaceans (small crabs, shrimps), small mollusks (snails, clams), fish, other cuttlefish, worms.

Behavior: leads a bottom-dwelling lifestyle. During the day, the cuttlefish hides in caves and among seaweed. It crawls along the ground with the help of “arms”, swims with the help of fins, swims quickly, throwing water out of the mantle ( jet propulsion). Territorial, in most cases spends its entire life in the same area. Responsive to stressful situations individually: while some become aggressive, others remain calm, and others experience panic. Can learn from experience from its fellows. There is a pronounced attraction to the game. The cuttlefish is extremely curious and is attracted to the bright colors.

Social structure: They are solitary and gather together only during the breeding season.

Reproduction: Once a year, adult Australian cuttlefish migrate to the rocky reefs of South Australia. The sex ratio (males:females) is 4:1, maximum 11:1. The density of giant cuttlefish during the breeding season is 85 individuals per 100 m2. During this period, males are painted in their breeding plumage: black with white stripes. Aggressive large males do not allow young or smaller males to approach females. Therefore, small males, taking advantage of their size, pretend to be females, changing their body color and thereby misleading the large males. When they are distracted, the small males again change color, mate with the females and hastily hide. Fertilization is internal - the male captures his spermatophore and transfers it to the female's mantle cavity, located under the mouth. Average duration Mating time for cuttlefish is 2.4 min. Before transferring the spermatophore to the female, the male, by expelling water from his mantle, rinses her mantle cavity to remove the spermatophores of other males. The female attaches fertilized eggs (in a thick shell) to underwater objects. Over the entire season, a female can lay up to 200 eggs. The eggs are round, diameter up to 2 cm, length up to 3 cm. Parents do not guard the eggs. At the end of the breeding season, the female usually dies.

Breeding season/period: April-August.

Courtship ritual: During mating, the male performs a dance: he waves his “arms” and shimmers with bright colors.

Incubation: 3-5 months, depending on water temperature.

Offspring: newborn Australian cuttlefish reach a length of up to 2.54 cm. Juveniles are similar in appearance to adults. Feeds on plankton.

Benefit/harm for humans: The giant cuttlefish is a commercial item - its meat is eaten. The secretion of the ink gland is used in painting. The cuttlefish shell is used by jewelers (as a casting mold). Whole or ground shells are added to the food of birds to meet the need for calcium and other minerals (chickens, canaries, budgies), as well as to grind down their beaks.

Population/Conservation Status: Fishing for cuttlefish is prohibited in Australia during the breeding season.

Cuttlefish (Sepia) belong to the class of cephalopods. About 30 belong to this group modern species. Cuttlefish are the smallest of all cephalopods. In most species, the body length reaches 20 cm, and in small species - 1.8-2 cm. Only one species - the broad-armed sepia - has a length of 150 cm including the “arms”. Cuttlefish live mainly near the shores in shallow waters in tropical and subtropical seas Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Structure

The structure of cuttlefish is in many ways similar to that of other cephalopods. Its body is represented by a skin-muscular sac (the so-called mantle) and has an elongated oval shape, slightly flattened and does not change in size (octopuses, for example, can easily squeeze into narrow crevices). In cuttlefish, the head is fused to the body. On the head there are large eyes with a complex structure and a slit-like pupil, and on its front part there is a kind of beak designed for crushing food. The beak is hidden between the tentacles.

Eight short arm tentacles and two long grasping tentacles extend from the body of the mollusk, all of which are studded with suckers. IN calm state The cuttlefish's "arms" are folded together and extended forward, thus giving the body a streamlined appearance. The grasping tentacles are hidden in special pockets under the eyes and fly out from there only during the hunt. In males, one of the arms differs in structure from the others and serves for fertilization of females.

On the sides of the cuttlefish's body there are fins, elongated in the form of a border, which are a means of facilitating movement. The cuttlefish accelerates its movement in the water through several sharp movements. It draws water into a compression chamber, which contracts to release water from a siphon located under the head. The mollusk changes direction by turning the opening of this siphon. The cuttlefish differs from other cephalopods by the presence of an internal calcareous shell in the form of a wide plate that covers its entire back and protects internal organs. The cuttlefish's internal shell is made of aragonite. This substance forms the so-called “cuttlefish bone”, which is responsible for the buoyancy of the mollusk. The cuttlefish regulates its buoyancy by the ratio of gas and liquid inside this bone, which is divided into small chambers.

The remaining internal organs of cuttlefish are arranged in the same way as those of other representatives of cephalopods. This animal has three hearts: one heart for two gills and one heart for the rest of the body. The cuttlefish has blue-green blood due to the hemocyanin pigment it contains, which is saturated with copper-containing proteins that are capable of long time“conserve” oxygen, preventing the mollusk from suffocating at great depths. Cuttlefish also have an ink sac, which produces very a large number of ink, compared to other cephalopods. The ink substance is brown in color and is called sepia. Having such a protective agent, the cuttlefish uses it directly for protection as a last resort.

The color of cuttlefish is very variable. The structure of their skin contains three layers of chromatophores (coloring pigment cells): on the surface there is a light yellow layer, a middle layer of orange-yellow layer and a dark layer located under the previous two layers. The transition from one shade to another is adjustable nervous system and happens within a second. In terms of the variety of colors, the complexity of the pattern and the speed of its change, these animals have no equal. Some species of cuttlefish can luminesce. Color changes and luminescence are used by the mollusk for camouflage.

Reproduction

Cuttlefish live alone, very rarely in small flocks, and lead a sedentary lifestyle. During the breeding season, they form large aggregations and can migrate. Cuttlefish usually swim on a short distance from the bottom, tracking down prey, seeing it, they freeze for a moment, and then quickly overtake the victim. When cuttlefish are in danger, they lie down on the bottom and cover themselves with sand with the flapping of their fins. These animals are very cautious and timid by nature. Cuttlefish hunt in daytime and feed on various fish, shrimp, crabs, mollusks, worms - almost all organisms that move and do not exceed them in size. To increase the effectiveness of hunting, the mollusk blows a stream of water from a siphon into the sand and catches small animals washed by the stream. Cuttlefish swallow small animals whole, while large ones are cut up with their beaks.

Cuttlefish have many enemies, since their low movement speed makes them vulnerable to predatory fish. These mollusks are eaten by dolphins, sharks and stingrays. Cuttlefish are sometimes called the "chameleons of the sea" for their good camouflage to match the color of their surroundings. When hunting or escaping predators, they rely more on their ability to camouflage rather than their protective ink.

Cuttlefish are dioecious animals. They reproduce once in a lifetime. The male treats the female with reverent tenderness, swimming nearby, he strokes her with his tentacles, while both flare up bright colors. The male introduces sperm to the female with a modified tentacle, and the eggs are fertilized during laying. The eggs of cuttlefish are black and look like bunches of grapes; when laid, the females attach them to underwater vegetation. Some time after spawning, adults die. The juveniles are born fully formed, having an ink sac and an internal shell. From the first moments of life they can use ink. Cuttlefish grow quickly, but do not live long - only 1-2 years.

Since ancient times, people have hunted cuttlefish for their delicious meat, which is used in Mediterranean and Chinese cuisine. Ground shell is included in a number of toothpastes. In the old days, the ink liquid of cuttlefish was used for writing, and in diluted form to prepare a special paint for artists - sepia. Therefore, people owe countless masterpieces of painting and writing to cuttlefish.

Mollusks have been known to mankind since time immemorial, but many people still associate them with formless substances. What does cuttlefish really look like, where does it live and what does it eat?

Appearance

The cuttlefish is a member of the order Cephalopods, which includes squids and octopuses. Her body structure is oval, slightly flattened. The main part is the mantle, which is a bag of muscles and skin.

The role of the skeleton is played by a wide calcareous shell. It is located inside the cephalopod's body and protects vital organs from damage. The plates in the shell have cavities, due to which the weight of the mollusks is reduced and they float freely. The shape of the fins is fused - it seems that the body is bordered by one continuous fin.

Males and female sea cuttlefish look almost the same in pictures - they are distinguished by patterns on their bodies, and even then not always. Males take advantage of the ability of their skin to change color and disguise themselves as representatives of the other sex.

The eyes of cephalopods are large and slit-like. Under them there are special pockets in which hunting tentacles are hidden. Representatives sea ​​world They release them only during an attack, and crush the prey with a beak hidden between the tentacles. At rest, the beak is not visible.

The cuttlefish has 10 legs - 2 long hunting legs with suction cups at the ends and 8 short ones. On short tentacles, the suckers are arranged in 4 rows.

Ink

The ink sac is a special organ. It produces ink in significantly greater quantities than other representatives of the cephalopod order. Structurally, it looks like a capsule divided into two compartments. One compartment contains cells filled with dye grains. Mature cells burst - ink flows out and accumulates in the second chamber. An empty bag needs 30-40 minutes to recover.

Invertebrate ink is valued not only in cooking - it is used as the basis for expensive sepia paint. Many masterpieces of past centuries were written in sepia.

Individuals are afraid of rustles, people, movements. Over time, they get used to the person, show curiosity, swimming closer and looking at him. But when frightened, they release ink into the water - this is one of the reasons for the problematic keeping of mollusks in home aquariums. Colored water becomes opaque and dark.

Dimensions

Compared to the rest of the class, they seem small:

• The usual size is 20-30 cm.
• The smallest is 2 cm, a world record among mollusks.
• The largest measured cuttlefish is 1.5 m. Its weight reaches 10 kg.

Coloring

It is difficult to immediately determine what color a cuttlefish is - it, like octopuses, changes it. The skin of invertebrates contains special cells called chromatophores. They are filled with multi-colored pigment.

The brain controls these cells by sending them signals. Smart individuals change shades instantly - it seems that the process occurs automatically. In fact, chameleons with tentacles do this deliberately - for camouflage, before an attack, during the breeding season.

Environment and habitat features

The habitat of invertebrates is shallow water in the tropics and subtropics off the coast of Eurasia and Africa. They dive shallowly and try to move along the coast. The orders live in one place, but sometimes migrate - several years ago, scientists discovered a striped individual off the coast of Australia.

When they see their prey, cuttlefish freeze for a moment, and then suddenly and with lightning speed they attack the victim.

Representatives of this class are indiscriminate in food - they eat fish, shrimp, and other sea ​​creatures, which are smaller in size. Their weaker relative may become the victim.

Reproduction

The average lifespan of a cuttlefish is up to 2 years. During this time they reproduce once. During the mating season, mollusks move from their place in search of a comfortable place to lay eggs. As soon as the female lays them, she dies.

The eggs will hatch into formed fry with ink and a developed instinct of self-preservation. Sensing danger, they, like adult males, will lie down on the bottom and try to cover themselves with sand.

1. Cuttlefish have 3 hearts. Two supply blood to the gills, the third to other organs.
2. Their blood is blue-green, which is explained by the presence of hemocyanin protein in its composition.
3. Invertebrates see what is happening behind them.

They are hunted by stingrays, sharks, other marine predators and people. The latter like the delicate and delicate taste of seafood; it is highly valued in Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.

The ink is used as a natural dye and food additive. It is a powerful natural antioxidant and source of iron. Their balanced composition helps with headaches, colds, bronchitis, herpes, insomnia, and some vascular diseases.

Paula Weston

The waters of the world's oceans are home to amazingly complex marine animals. But none of these animals compares in complexity to the cuttlefish.

Green blood, three hearts and the ability to change the color of the skin... At first glance, you might think that we are talking about some kind of “bizarre alien” or an animal from a science fiction film. In fact, it is a seafood delicacy.

The waters of the world's oceans are home to amazingly complex animals. But none of these animals compares in complexity to the cuttlefish. The sea cuttlefish has become widely known because of its shell, which can often be found at the bottom of cages with budgies. However, cuttlefish are much more than just a source of calcium for caged birds.

In addition to the ability to camouflage its body in various environmental conditions, it can change the color of its cover, especially when it is in an excited state. At the same time, the body of this mollusk seems to flash from yellow to red-orange and blue-green colors.

The cuttlefish eye, like the squid eye, has a structure very similar to the human eye. But evolutionists believe that these eyes evolved separately, and that their similarity is simply a 'coincidence'.

This mollusk also has a complex system of pushing its body through the water, and also has an amazing ability to stay on the surface of the water (the buoyancy of the cuttlefish can be compared to the buoyancy of submarines). This mollusk also has a sharp ‘beak-shaped proboscis’, with which it cuts the body of its prey as if with scissors. And therefore, he can successfully use his tentacles to ‘cut’ meat.

The giant Australian is considered a favorite of divers, especially during the breeding season, when the usually shy underwater animals become friendly and sometimes chase divers in the water, often remaining calm even when scratched or petted.

Cuttlefish belongs to the class of mollusks Cephalopoda, which means ‘cephalopods’. This mollusk got its name from two Greek words kephale (head) and podes (legs). Its sizes range from 2.4 centimeters (about one inch) to 90 centimeters (three feet) in length (and even larger, such as a species of giant Australian cuttlefish that can reach the size of a small person).

Blood and body of sea cuttlefish

Unlike human blood, which contains red pigment, hemoglobin, blood cuttlefish blue-green color because it contains the pigment hemocyanin, which carries out the function of oxygen transport. The cuttlefish has three hearts - one heart for a pair of gills and one heart for the rest of the body.

From the body of the cuttlefish extend eight arm-shaped processes on which there are suction cups, and two grasping tentacles (which can be retracted into the pouches located under the eyes). This mollusk mainly feeds on small fish, crustaceans and other molluscs. It hunts during the day, catching small prey by sucking it through its proboscis and pulling it out of the sand. Like the octopus, the cuttlefish produces an ‘ink substance’, only its color is brown and is called sepia. Despite the presence of such a protective agent, he uses it as a method of protection as a last resort. To hunt for prey and to successfully escape from predators such as sharks and dolphins, it relies more on its ability to camouflage rather than on these protective inks.

How do sea cuttlefish change color?

Skin covering cuttlefish consists of three layers of chromatophores (coloring pigment cells) - a light yellow layer on the surface, under which there is an orange-yellow layer and, finally, a dark layer located under two top layers. The transition from one color to another, which occurs in less than a second, is regulated by the nervous system. Within just a few seconds, you can see how the body of this mollusk changes its color, using all the colors of the rainbow.

The cuttlefish pushes its body through the water through a series of sharp movements, drawing water into a compression chamber that contracts to expel the water from a channel located under its head. The mollusk changes the direction of its body by turning the opening of this channel and narrowing the speed regulator located in it.

Like a submarine, the cuttlefish fills small chambers in its shell with air, which maintains its neutral buoyancy. This ability helps cephalopods hover above the seabed, since, despite possessing complex system pushing through the water, their large shell prevents them from being too active or fast in the water. It is difficult to imagine how this type of mollusk, moving so slowly in the water, was able to survive for millions of years of evolution before it acquired the very important ability to camouflage itself. But evolutionists continue to believe that this is how it happened, even though there is no evidence to show how these features came about.

The sea cuttlefish has eyes like a human.

The cuttlefish's eyes are very similar in structure to human eyes, but evolutionists do not believe that this mollusk has any direct evolutionary relationship to humans (i.e., there is no possible common ancestor of cuttlefish and humans that would have such eyes). Therefore, this similarity is explained by evolutionists as “convergent evolution”: the eyes of cuttlefish and other cephalopods “evolved separately and independently” from human eyes. In other words, it's just an evolutionary coincidence.

Links and notes

1. "Dolphins have fun as seasonal tragedy unfolds below", Sydney Morning Herald, September 14, 1996.
2. R. Moore, C. Laliker, and A. Fisher, Invertebrate Fossils, McGraw Hill, New York, 1952.
3. Clarkson, Invertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, George Allen & Unwin, London (7th edition), 1984.
4. Encyclopedia Britannica, (fifteenth edition), 24:322, 1992.
5. Reference 1., chapter 8, ‘shellfish’.

Other sources:

‘Australian giant cuttlefish’, Geo 9(1), March–May 1987, pp. 58–71. Encyclopedia Britannica, (fifteenth edition), 3:814, 1992.

Source-www.answersingenesis.org

Black cuttlefish- amazing inhabitant ocean depths, exciting the imagination of people for many centuries. For example, the legendary image of a sea or sea monk, about whom sailors made up terrible tales and with whom they frightened young recruits, is just a ten-tentacled black cuttlefish .

Its role and place in maritime folklore is described very interestingly and in detail in A. Lehmann’s study “Encyclopedia of Superstitions and Magic.”

However, no matter what mystical properties and qualities this queen was awarded underwater world human imagination, cuttlefish is an ordinary sea fish that people do not forget to use for food and, of course, to study and explore.

Features and habitat of black cuttlefish

Among oceanographers and simply photographers of underwater spaces and their inhabitants, it is considered a very great success to make photo of cuttlefish at the moment when she swallows her prey.

It is generally accepted that this marine animal was first described in 1550 by researcher Konrad Gesner in his work “History of Animals,” and a stuffed cuttlefish is still kept in the Copenhagen Natural History Museum.

Cuttlefish are cephalopods that live in the Atlantic and in the waters Mediterranean Sea. However, there are cases where they have been caught in the nets of fishing trailers plying the waters Pacific Ocean.

There is also evidence of the presence of such marine inhabitants in other seas, including low-temperature waters. It is possible that official science will soon review and expand their habitat area.

Black cuttlefish releases ink

The size of cuttlefish, as far as science can say, does not depend on their species, and varies from 2-2.5 cm to 50-70 cm. Today, 30 varieties of these beautiful creatures are known, but this division is based mainly on the color that is characteristic of the animal most of the time.

Cuttlefish change color more interestingly than. Lying on seabed, the animal completely merges with it, changing not only its color, but also acquiring additional specks, spots and stripes that completely imitate the surrounding landscape.

The tentacles, which many take for legs, actually surround the mouth, similar to the beak of a large owl or parrot, from the glands above which cuttlefish release ink at the slightest danger.

So, the fact that they “emit gases” with ink is also a myth. These misconceptions are based on stereotypical human perception. From the point of view of our brain, it is natural to move head first, as almost all animals and birds do. But here cuttlefish moves backwards, similar to .

Returning to what sepia(ink) cuttlefish releases at the moment of danger, it is worth noting that the release of this cloud not only gives it camouflage, but also immediately gives it acceleration, as if pushing it out.

These anatomical features include “ cuttlefish bone", actively used in the jewelry industry, haute cuisine, medicine and arts and crafts.

Bone, it's nothing more than internal skeleton, or cuttlefish shell, consisting of aragonite, in the form of thin plates connected by many flexible bridges. Part of the shell is filled with gas, which allows the mollusk to regulate its own position and buoyancy.

Scientists have experimentally determined that the shell bursts when immersed to a depth of 700 to 800 meters, and begins to deform already at a depth of 200 meters.

In addition to the skeleton, it is worth noting that this sea creature has as many as three working hearts, and its blood is colored blue or greenish-blue with hemocyanin, just as human blood is colored red with hemoglobin.

Character and lifestyle of the black cuttlefish

As for the habits, character and direct way of life of cuttlefish, they are being actively studied. Unfortunately, science is far behind fishing trailers, which not so long ago actively practiced industrial catching of these mollusks.

As a result of such activities, more than 17 species out of 30 known were on the verge of extinction, mostly endangered off the coast, including the black ten-tentacled one.

Pictured is a black cuttlefish

From observations in aquariums it is known that this mollusk is extremely intelligent and has an excellent memory. If someone has “offended” a cuttlefish, even years later, if there is an opportunity, it mercilessly takes revenge, and unmistakably on the offender, without hurting other representatives of his species.

The ratio of brain size to body size in this mollusk is much larger than that of fish and squid; many scientists believe that the mental abilities of cuttlefish are comparable to marine mammals.

According to the results of aquarium observations and research conducted at the Georgia Institute published in 2010, social image life cuttlefish And squid completely different from each other, although previously it was thought the other way around.

Although mollusks lead a solitary lifestyle, they have “families” and organized communities that gather together only during the “mating season,” which is most likely dictated by the need for safety, since partnership in love games for these mollusks is determined once and for life .

Nutrition of black cuttlefish

Now it has become very fashionable to breed miniature species of these mollusks in home aquariums. However, before buy cuttlefish, even the prettiest one, you need to find out what she eats. These are predators. They hunt everything they can catch and swallow - crustaceans and others.

Therefore, going to the store, Where Can buy cuttlefish to a home aquarium. You need to be mentally prepared that a moment will come when there will be no fish left in this aquarium, just like there will be no snails.

Juvenile black cuttlefish

These mollusks love to eat, and according to observations, in an aquarium, cuttlefish grow and gain weight throughout their lives. The weight of the oldest “resident” of the Georgia Institute of Oceanarium, according to research in 2010, exceeded 20 kg. However, this feature is still under study and is officially considered a hypothesis.

Reproduction and lifespan of black cuttlefish

Living alone, about once every year and a half, cuttlefish gather in large schools and occupy an area at a shallow depth, and can move in circles until the oldest ones choose the most suitable one.

Black cuttlefish mating

On the first day, something like settling into a new place, exploring the surroundings and, oddly enough, changing colors. The mollusks seem to be dressing up. For example, the black cuttlefish acquires a red tint and longitudinal stripes.

However, it can “dress” itself in white spots. From above, the city of shellfish at this time looks like a clearing. Filled with exotic flowers of the most impossible, surreal shades.

On the second day, already established couples find each other, and young people begin to actively get to know each other and court each other. For a long time It was believed that cuttlefish reproduce once in their lives, but it has now been proven that this is not so.

But their couples really do last a lifetime. Moreover, the male is very affectionate towards the female, he constantly touches her, hugs her, while both flash pink light from within. An amazingly romantic and beautiful picture.

Direct reproduction is carried out by laying eggs. The female lays them hanging, like bunches of grapes; the blue-black color of the clutch also gives them a resemblance to berries, during which fertilization itself occurs.

Black cuttlefish eggs

The cubs are born, or rather hatched, absolutely independent, with their ink chambers fully filled and possessing all the instincts necessary for survival.

Until recently, it was believed that adults die after mating games, or, as even scientists sometimes say – spawning. The first doubts about this scientific postulate were raised by employees of a chain of seafood restaurants, after a generation of small mollusks appeared in their aquariums, and their parents had absolutely no intention of dying. Aquariums were decorative, so animals were used for cooking cuttlefish ink paste they were not caught.

Later, these same observations were recorded at an aquarium in Georgia. Therefore, at the moment, the life span of mollusks and some features of their reproduction are an open, debated question in the scientific world, which does not have clear and precise answers.

More recently, Russian aquarium lovers have been able to legally breed these mollusks, which was impossible before 2012. As a rule, potential inhabitants of the aquarium are from 5 to 10 cm in length and are not impressive at first glance, reminiscent of the color of a stale boiled fish.

Baby black cuttlefish

However, you should not pay attention to this; you need to remember that the mollusk changes color. And being in a cage for these sea beauties is a real test and a lot of stress. Prices for cuttlefish vary, on average it ranges from 2,600 to 7,000 thousand rubles. It is not worth buying a pair, in addition, if sympathy is visible between the two shellfish for sale.

In general, although the content of simulating a marine climate is quite troublesome, it justifies itself, giving the opportunity every day to admire this outlandish marine climate, which is so different from everything that is familiar to humans.