Cuttlefish is one of the strange and clever creatures that hides in the depths of the sea. Although ‘fish’ is added to the name, it is not actually a fish, but a sea creature close to octopus and squid.

Its biggest feature is its ability to change color, pattern and body texture in a moment. This is the reason why many call it the ‘chameleon of the sea’.

There are more than 100 species of this organism found around the world and it is usually found in warm or temperate waters near the seashore. Although its lifespan is short, its lifestyle is very active, intelligent and exciting.

1. 3 hearts

The most surprising feature of cuttlefish is that it has three hearts. Although there is one heart in a normal organism, three hearts do different things in it. This is why it is constantly active in the water, able to hunt and escape quickly.

Its life in the sea should always be alert. Because, it is not certain when the prey will approach near them and when the enemy will appear. In such a situation, the body constantly needs oxygen and energy. This structure of three hearts keeps its body active and active in the water for a long time.

This characteristic makes cuttlefish very different from ordinary sea creatures.

2. Vision very sharp

A cuttlefish’s eye is one of the most powerful parts of its body. The unique shape of its eyes helps it to perceive the surrounding movement well even in low-light marine environments.

For this reason, even if it hides among sand, stones or sea grass, it quickly understands what is happening around it. Its vision is very important not only for hunting, but also for the art of hiding. It changes the shape of the body immediately after knowing the light, shadow and texture of the environment.

Interestingly, it can also sense small differences in light that humans cannot easily miss. This sharp vision has made the cuttlefish the best hunter of the sea and a master of the art of hiding.

3. Sea lizard

Cuttlefish are also called sea lizards. Because, it has an amazing ability to change the color and texture of the body. It can instantly transform its body into a sand-like, stone-like, sea-grass-like, or dotted pattern.

This ability is not just for hiding. It also uses different patterns to approach prey, to approach silently, to attract mates, or to intimidate rivals.

This is why the art of hiding cuttlefish is considered one of the most advanced natural arts in the world. It can change its body instantly, just as a person can quickly change the filter on a camera.

4. More than 100 species worldwide

Cuttlefish are not the same species. There are more than 100-120 species of it in the world. Some species are very small, 2-3 inches, while the large Australian cuttlefish can be over half a meter long and over 10 kg.

Many of its species are found in the seas around Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Most live in warm or temperate waters near shore. Some are more active during the day and some go out to hunt at night.

This much diversity makes cuttlefish a very interesting group of the marine world.

5. 8 arms and 2 long limbs

Cuttlefish has 8 arms and 2 long grasping limbs. These two long limbs are mainly used to catch prey. Under normal circumstances, they appear to be hidden inside, but as soon as they see prey, they suddenly come forward.

After catching the prey, 8 hands hold it firmly and bring it to the mouth. After that, the mouth can easily eat crabs, shrimps, small fish or shellfish.

Its hunting style is very interesting. The eye, distance and the right timing to quickly reach the prey make it a smart and deadly predator of the sea.

6. Short life span

Despite being such an intelligent and unique creature, the life span of cuttlefish is usually only 1 to 2 years. Despite its short lifespan, it completes every stage of life very quickly.

After birth, growing rapidly, learning to hunt, learning the art of changing color, finding mates and laying eggs all happen in this short period of time. This short but highly active lifestyle makes it a classic example of ‘short life, high activity’ in marine biology.

7. Glides beautifully in the water

The movement of cuttlefish looks very beautiful and flexible. As the wing-like part on the side of its body moves, it seems to float slowly in the water. But if danger is felt, its speed changes suddenly. It absorbs water inside the body and throws it out forcefully, and with the help of it, the futt comes out forward or backward in an instant.

8. A special hard part that balances within the body

Cuttlefish has a light and hard special bone-like part inside its body. This part adjusts its balance in water. Due to this, it is easy to remain stable at the same level of water without expending much energy. This feature is very useful when waiting for prey or hiding.

The white light bone-like object that is sometimes found on the shore is the inner part of the body of this cuttlefish.

9. Releases black ink when threatened

The cuttlefish’s most famous self-defense weapon is its black ink. When it senses danger, it leaves a black cloud-like substance in the water. This confuses the enemy and the cuttlefish seizes the opportunity to escape.

Sometimes this ink also creates a false shape like the shape of a cuttlefish, which confuses the enemy even more. This is a very clever way of survival, which makes it a smart sea creature.

10. The difference in light is well felt

Even though cuttlefish cannot see color, they sense the direction of light, shadows and small differences very well. For this reason, it quickly knows what the surrounding surface, sand, stone or sea grass is like.

This ability makes its stealth almost perfect. It decides which pattern or texture to make in which place based on this subtle difference of light.

The fact that it can sense a slight glow or a difference in the angle of light that cannot be distinguished by humans shows how advanced its sensory world is.