Crafty Cuttlefish Are The Masters Of Disguise And Deception
Language
Reading Level
Listen to Article
Alignment
Cuttlefish are masters of disguise. These eight-armed cephalopods are known to rapidly change colors, patterns, and even the texture of their skin to evade predators. Now, researchers have discovered that these crafty mollusks also use this ability to catch prey.
Matteo Santon of the University of Bristol in England and his team spent several months filming cuttlefish in Indonesia. They used live crabs as bait to attract local broadclub cuttlefish and filmed their hunting behavior.
The cuttlefish approached the crabs slowly. When they got to within three to six feet of their prey, they started changing their shape and color. The researchers identified four distinct hunting strategies.
The first was the "leaf" display, where the cuttlefish spread its side arms and tucked the other arms into a cone. It also turned olive-green and moved gently, mimicking a drifting leaf.
For the "branching coral" display, the cuttlefish raised two central arms and spread the others forward. It also turned orange and yellow. This was probably to blend in with the corals as it crept closer to its prey.
In the "passing stripe" display, the mollusk darkened to gray except for a flashing black stripe running down its back. This added motion helped hide its body as it moved toward the prey.
The fourth strategy, called "pulse," involved the cuttlefish pointing two arms forward and spreading its central arms wide. Dark pulses of color traveled along its body simultaneously. Scientists are unsure exactly how this disguise helps with hunting. But they speculate it may hide the cuttlefish's shape from its prey.
The cuttlefish also showed the ability to switch between displays during a single hunt. For example, they might begin with the branching coral display and finish with the passing stripe. They sometimes also combined two displays. They would take the shape of a leaf while sending pulses of dark color down their arms.
The team's findings were published in the journal Ecology on February 18, 2025. The researchers are not sure how cuttlefish choose camouflage strategies for different hunting scenarios. But their study reveals just how adaptable and intelligent these creatures are.
Though called cuttlefish, these sea creatures are not fish at all. They are a type of mollusk and part of the cephalopod family, closely related to octopuses and squid. Scientists have identified over 100 species of cuttlefish worldwide. They all have remarkable camouflage abilities. Cuttlefish are also skilled hunters. They use their specialized tentacles to capture prey with lightning-fast precision.
Resources: Smithsonianmag.com, Phys.org, arstechnica.com
Get the Workbook for this article!
Workbook contains: Article, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking Questions, Vocabulary in Context (+ answers), Multiple Choice Quiz (+ answers), Parts of Speech Quiz (+ answers), Vocabulary Game (+ answers)Cite Article
Learn Keywords in this Article
31 Comments
- pefekejahaki9 dayscrafty cuttlefish have 4 types of hunting strategies. First is the leaf display, what it does is spread its side arms and tucks the other arms into a cone; it also turns olive green and moves gently, mimicking a drifting leaf. The second is called the branching coral and this raises its two central arms and spreads the others. It also turns orange and yellow, this is to blend in with the corals as it moves closer to its prey. The third is the passing stripe, this is where the in the mollusk darkens to gray except this one black stripe running down its back. This added motion helps hide itself as it moves closer to its prey. Lastly, there is the pulse. This is where is points it arms forward and spreads its central arms wide. Dark pulses also move simultaneously. Although scientists are unsure what this does, they assume its to hide its shape as it hunts down its prey.
- christian10295 monthsvery interesting
finnydinny785 monthsGo cuttlefish team!!!- finnydinny785 monthsGo cuttlefishies yeh
anniemurray6 monthsGo cuttle fish team- finnydinny785 monthsLet's go boys the cuttle fish are just better
- anniemurray6 monthsWow so cool❤️
- anniemurray6 monthsLove cuttlefish
capybaralover6 monthsThey are just like chameleons... but under water
peacey_bon-bon6 monthsCool! ( Except maybe not for its prey. lol)
ckolwicz6 monthsso cool