Creature Feature – Broadclub Cuttlefish
This week on Creature Feature Friday we take a look at the Broadclub Cuttlefish.
Cuttlefish are marine molluscs belonging to the order Cephalopoda, like octopus. The broadclub cuttlefish gets its common name from the wide pads on the ends of its feeding tentacles that it uses to capture prey.
Taxonomy
Scientific Name: Sepia latimanus
Phylum: Mollusca
Order: Sepiida
Family: Sepiidae
Genus: Sepia
© Shutterstock / Kristina Vackova
Broadclub Cuttlefish Fact File
Size: This is the second largest cuttlefish species and can grow up to 50 cm in mantle length and weigh up to 10 kg
Distribution: They can be found across Southeast Asia and northern Australia
Diet: Their diet comprises of small shrimps, fish and crabs
Behaviour: Cuttlefishes are masters of camouflage and can change both their color and the texture of their skin to match their surroundings. This cunning species hypnotizes prey with flashing coloured bands that ripple along its skin. They then strike with their feeding tentacles and pull the prey toward their beaked mouths. When threatened by predators, broadclub cuttlefish produce ink that confuses the potential predators and allows the cuttlefish to escape. Any individuals that do not immediately escape can perfectly mimic the color and texture of the ink, in an attempt to hide in plain sight
IUCN Status: Unknown. The combination of climate change and ocean acidification is thought to be a potential threat to this species, as is overfishing and bycatch
