Wildlife
Common cuttlefish are predators and, like many cephalopods, occasionally indulge in a bit of cannibalism. They can change the colour and texture of their skin, disguising themselves as clumps of floating seaweed as they stalk their prey. They hunt from the moment they hatch and even the smallest hatchling will succeed in catching its prey four times out of five. Common cuttlefish are found in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, between West Africa and the Baltic. They are restricted by water temperature so in years when the seas warm up, their range increases.
Scientific name: Sepia officinalis
Rank: Species
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Migratory patterns
Miranda Krestovnikoff witnesses the yearly migration of cuttlefish to UK waters.
Miranda Krestovnikoff witnesses the yearly migration of cuttlefish to UK waters.
Night dive with predators
Tooni Mahto and Paul Rose night diving with predators such as Pollock, Pipefish, Jellyfish and Cuttlefish.
Tooni Mahto and Paul Rose night diving with predators such as Pollock, Pipefish, Jellyfish and Cuttlefish.
Black eggs
Cuttlefish fill their eggs with ink for camouflage.
Cuttlefish fill their eggs with ink for camouflage.
UK cuttlefish
Simon King investigates the cuttlefish living off the UK coastline.
Simon King investigates the cuttlefish living off the UK coastline.
The Common cuttlefish can be found in a number of locations including: Africa, Europe, Mediterranean, United Kingdom. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Common cuttlefish distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
The common cuttlefish or European common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is one of the largest and best-known cuttlefish species. It grows to 49 cm in mantle length (ML) and 4 kg in weight. Animals from subtropical seas are smaller and rarely exceed 30 cm in ML.
The common cuttlefish is native to at least the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea, although subspecies have been proposed as far south as South Africa. It lives on sand and mud seabeds to a depth of around 200 m. As in most cuttlefish species, spawning occurs in shallow waters.
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Migration
Predation defence
Adapted to swimming
Camouflage
Carnivorous
Courtship display
Tactile sense
Maternal care
Egg layer
Polygynous
Active at birth
Predator
Semelparous
Visual communication