Cuttlebone
Contents
About This Book
Cuttlefish
Cuttlebone
Predators
Uses for Cuttlebone
Index/Glossary
About This Book
This is cuttlebone. You may have seen cuttlebone on a seashore.
This book tells you where cuttlebone comes from, what it is and how it can be used.
Cuttlefish
Cuttlebone comes from the cuttlefish.
The cuttlefish is a close relative of the squid. The squid can grow to twelve meters long while the cuttlefish grows only to about one and a half meters.
The thin, tube-like squid can swim faster than the rounder, shorter cuttlefish.
Cuttlefish have soft bodies. They have eight arms and two tentacles, like the squid.
Cuttlefish usually live on the sea bottom, close to shore.
The cuttlefish’s arms and tentacles have suckers for gripping objects and catching prey. The tentacles are usually kept in pockets near the eyes.
When hunting, the cuttlefish quickly shoots out the tentacles to grab the prey.
Cuttlefish eat small fish, prawns and crabs.
Cuttlebone
Cuttlebone is often called an ‘internal shell’ because it is inside the cuttlefish.
The squid has a thin, hard shell called a ‘pen’ inside its body.
Unlike other shells, cuttlebone does not really protect the body of the cuttlefish. It supports the soft body of the cuttlefish and helps it to float, or sink to deeper water.
Cuttlebone is spongy and chalky. It floats on the water and rolls along with the tide until it is washed up onto the seashore. The pen of a squid can wash up onto the seashore, too, but it is hard to see. Water turns the pen into a clear jelly.
Predators
Cuttlefish have many predators. Fish, seabirds, dolphins, sharks and rays eat cuttlefish. The cuttlebone is all that is left after the cuttlefish dies or is eaten.
The cuttlefish can protect itself by changing its color to match the surroundings. It can do this in less than a second, making it hard to see and catch.
If changing its color does not work, the cuttlefish can squirt an inky liquid to darken the water. This gives the cuttlefish time to escape from the predator. Squid can do this, too.
A long time ago, the cuttlefish’s ink was used in printing, art and photography.
Uses for cuttlebone
Today, cuttlebone is used to make toothpaste, cleaning products and garden fertilizers. It is also used for sharpening fine tools and making moulds.
Cuttlebone is good for birds to eat because it is rich in calcium. Birds need calcium to strengthen their bones, babies.
Some pet birds also nibble cuttlebone to sharpen their beaks.
You can buy cuttlebone in pet shops.
You can also find it on the seashore – but you should take only what you really need.