At Wakatobi, Encounters With Glowing, Other-Worldly Creatures Like Cuttlefish Happen Every Day
With eight arms growing out of their heads, and three hearts pumping blue blood through their pliable, gelatinous bodies, cuttlefish may seem like creatures from another planet. But these cephalopods are the real thing, and they thrive in abundant numbers on the colorful reefs of Wakatobi.
They could be lurking close by and undetected, blending in perfectly with the coral reef or a seagrass bed. Unless a cuttlefish chooses to reveal itself, you could swim right by this alien-like creature without even knowing it was there. Sometimes referred to as “the chameleon of the sea,” cuttlefish have a remarkable ability to rapidly alter their skin color and patterning at will – sometimes seeming to disappear among their surroundings, then suddenly exploding in a pulsating display of moving light that can hypnotize prey or signal to others of their kind.
Like other members of the class Cephalopoda such as octopus and squid, cuttlefish have specialized pigment cells in their skin called chromatophores. These cells are infused with multi-colored pigment particles that are activated by the nervous system or by hormonal signals. Their skin also contains a second type of cell known as iridophores, which reflect and refract light in ways that result in silvery or iridescent colors, and make the cuttlefish’s skin appear to flash luminous, much like a strobe light.
The same chameleon-like abilities that allow cuttlefish to control their color and skin texture and blend with the reef or sea bottom also provide them with a means of communication. These light shows can be activated to attract a mate, warn off rival cuttlefish or even stage a performance to confuse their prey. At their most spectacular, cuttlefish may cycle through color and pattern changes so rapidly that their skin will actually pulse, as if they are sending electrically charged waves of light and dark through their bodies, adjusting the rhythm from slow to fast to slow again.
Male cuttlefish challenge one another for dominance and compete to occupy the best den for mating season. During this challenge, no direct contact is made. The animals threaten each other until one of them backs down and swims away. Eventually, the larger or more aggressive male cuttlefish will mate with the females. During courtship the male grabs his partners by entwining their tentacles, turning hes so that the two animals are face-to-face, then using a specialized tentacle to insert sperm sacs into an opening near the female’s mouth. The male then guards the female until she lays the eggs a few hours later.
On occasion, a competitor may arrive to threaten an amorous male cuttlefish. In these instances, the male will first attempt to intimidate his rival. If the competitor does not flee, the male will eventually attack and the confrontation turns physical. Since there are on average five and sometimes as many as ten males for every female, this kind of behavior is inevitable.
By revealing themselves, cuttlefish are indicating that you are not a potential threat.
At Wakatobi, there’s a chance of finding cuttlefish on nearly any dive. Their range extends from the shallow grass beds to deep reefs, and everything in between. When cuttlefish are in camouflage mode, it will take a very sharp eye to spot them, as they can blend almost perfectly into their surroundings. On the other hand, if they choose to reveal themselves, they are hard to miss, as they will often rise up from the bottom and start flashing bright color patterns. It’s as if the switch was flipped on a battery-powered strobe light.
When you see a cuttlefish, look around, because it’s probably not alone. While juveniles are more likely to remain solitary, adult cuttlefish usually travel in groups of two or more, and it’s not unusual to find a half dozen moving in loose formation. By revealing themselves, cuttlefish have decided that you are not a potential threat. If you wish to approach for a closer look, you will need to maintain that non-threatening impression by moving slowly and patiently without making any sudden or aggressive movements. Sometimes it is the cuttlefish themselves who will move closer, as they seem to be naturally curious when not threatened.
Fortunately, cuttlefish are not yet considered to be threatened or endangered, and they do especially well in protected areas such as Wakatobi’s marine preserve.
The cuttlefish you are most likely to see around Wakatobi is the broadclub (Sepia latimanus), which can reach lengths of more than a foot. Guests who take a cruise on the Pelagian also stand a good chance of seeing the aptly-named flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) during night dives. This species spends their days buried in the type of soft sea floor sediment found on muck diving sites around Buton Island and emerging only under cover of darkness. Because of its extra-small cuttlebone, the Flamboyant has a hard time with buoyancy. It can’t swim for very long without sinking to the bottom. But what it lacks in buoyancy, it makes up in it’s mezmerizing displays.
Though they are among the cleverest and most elusive creatures in the sea, cuttlefish are not immune to human impacts. In many parts of the world, cuttlefish are fished for food, and also to harvest the internal shell known as a cuttlebone, which is used in the pet trade to provide caged birds with a calcium-rich pecking supplement. Fortunately, cuttlefish are not yet considered to be threatened or endangered, and they do especially well in protected areas such as Wakatobi’s marine preserve.
During your Wakatobi visit, be ready for a cuttlefish encounter. You never know when these sleek, iridescent hunters will reveal themselves. If you can imagine that cuttlefish are extraterrestrials who came to Earth, hovering weightless as you watch one pulsate in other-worldly color patterns might well be as close as you will ever come to visiting another planet.
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