Habitat 
Depth 
Group 
Role 
Average sizeWHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
A rippling fin skirt borders the broad, flattened body of the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). The head carries large eyes with W-shaped pupils and eight short arms lined with suckers.
Two longer tentacles end in expanded tips but usually remain hidden. Mottling, shades and skin texture can change quickly, while body and eye shape remain steadier features than colouring.
WHERE DOES IT LIVE?
It frequents coastal areas, on sandy or muddy seabeds or among seagrass and algae. It can also partly bury itself in sand to conceal itself.
WHAT DOES IT EAT?
The common cuttlefish can approach a shrimp or wait until prey is within range before projecting its two feeding tentacles. The catch returns to the arms, which hold it near the mouth. Salivary secretions help subdue it, and the beak cuts tissues. Fish, crabs, shrimps, gastropods and other cephalopods are eaten. The stages differ in visibility: tentacle extension is sudden but recognisable, whereas processing largely occurs within the arms. A cuttlefish holding prey against its mouth may therefore still be feeding after capture.
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