1 August 2006
Friendly cuttlefish on night dive
by Roger onboard the Rainbow Warrior in the Mediterranean sea.
A cuttlefish Sepia officinalis close
to the bottom on a night dive
©Greenpeace/Roger Grace
On a recent night dive we encountered a small cuttlefish hanging around on the bottom. Looking at first very like a small rock, the animal moved around hardly disturbed by our lights and cameras. Cuttlefish are like squid but have a limey shell inside which sometimes washes up on beaches when the animal dies. These "cuttlefish bones" are sometimes given to cage birds like budgies and parrots to sharpen their beaks on.
The cuttlefish has a very strange eye with a wiggly black slit for a pupil. In the close up picture you can also see the coloured pigment cells in the skin, the size of which can be changed by the animal so it can alter the colour to match the surroundings, and to flash ripples of colour along the back to indicate different moods.
Close up of the strange eye of the cuttlefish.
Also visible are coloured pigment cells in the skin.
©Greenpeace/Roger Grace
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Comments
wow i may sound really dumb, but i had no idea these were animals
Posted by: Ash at August 1, 2006 11:45 AM
A friendly fellow is he :-) x
Posted by: Jodie at August 1, 2006 1:28 PM
What does it mean 'indicate different moods'?
Posted by: miki at August 4, 2006 6:02 AM
Avast ye land lubbers! The ocean critters need your help!
Take action today!
