In a neighboring tank were several of the oddist fish I have ever seen - well - if they are fish. This young one is so little, it would fit in the palm of your hand. If you cupped both of your hands and put them together, you could completely enclose this cuttlefish and his tankmates. I have seen them as large as a football, however.
Having the word "fish" in their name suggests that cuttlefish are really fish - here's the research.....
Cuttlefish are marine animals, but NOT fish - they are molluscs in the same family as squid, octopodes and nautiluses. They have an internal shell called the cuttlebone. If you have ever provided a calcium scratch for your parakeet, you have used a cuttlebone from a cuttlefish.
Cuttlefish have 8 arms and 2 tentacles. They range in size, when fully grown, from 5 inches to 20 inches. They eat a range of foods that include small molluscs, crabs, fish, shrimp, octopides, worms and...sadly....other cuttlefish.
Sharks, like the one on the previous page, dolphins, fish, seals, seabirds and cuttlefish eat them.
Cuttlefish are short-lived, living one to two years, and are not often considered good aquarium pets for this reason.
Cuttlefish are highly intelligent and have one of the largest brain to body ratios of all animals. One of their most outstanding traits is their communication skills.
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