Watch cuttlefish migrate together in a defensive line with a lookout

By Richard Kemeny

The cuttlefish has a estimation for being a alternatively solitary cephalopod. But caller footage reveals that groups of chaotic cuttlefish signifier shoals to migrate, suggesting they are much societal than we thought.

Grouping is communal crossed the carnal kingdom, providing a scope of benefits including assistance with foraging, fending disconnected predators and meeting to mate. In cephalopods, the behaviour is mostly associated with squids, which signifier schools of thousands. Cuttlefish, similar octopuses, mostly similar to research the satellite connected their own, and sightings of societal behaviour among them are rare.

Christian Drerup astatine the University of Cambridge and Gavan Cooke astatine The Cephalopod Citizen Science Project person collected a bid of reports, photos and videos from scuba divers successful waters disconnected the southbound seashore of the UK that amusement 10 examples of shoaling successful European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis).

“The lit is precise dogmatic astir what cephalopods bash and don’t do, and you benignant of judge that until you spot things with your ain eyes,” says Cooke.

In the videos, cuttlefish could beryllium seen travelling unneurotic successful a bid of formations, immoderate successful groups arsenic ample arsenic 30. Sometimes, they formed a horizontal line, with 1 cuttlefish facing the different absorption – possibly acting arsenic a guard portion the others slept. At different times, the cuttlefish made a spherical shape, facing outwards successful each directions similar an past Roman service testudo formation. Occasionally, the cuttlefish drifted isolated earlier returning to a radical structure.

The observations were made betwixt 2013 and 2020 during August to September, erstwhile these cuttlefish commencement migrating from their nursery grounds successful shallow coastal waters towards deeper waters successful the English Channel and disconnected the bluish seashore of France. “Shoaling allows for selfish herd defence,” says Cooke, providing information successful numbers against a scope of predators on the journey. It besides astir apt improves navigation, and whitethorn connection an accidental for societal learning.

Journal reference: Ethology, DOI: 10.1111/eth.13226

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