I love the BBC.
So many good programs over the years. Monty Python. Masterpiece Theatre. Sherlock.
Not to mention great nature programs.
It should be no surprise then that the BBC had some superb info on our fellow Cephalopod friends - Cuttlefish!
I read some of these and sat wide-eyed in amazement at what these beings are capable of. So much so that my eyes kind of hurt now! So as a hats off to the cuttlefish, here are some super facts to ponder:
1) Cuttlefish can grow to nearly 3 feet and weigh up to 35lbs.
2) Cuttlefish can change color in 200 milliseconds, as fast as a human blink. That is fast!
3) Cuttlefish have W-shaped pupils, which are thought to help control the intensity of light entering the eye. That is the same kind of eye as Kermit the Frog. So now they are even cooler than before.
4) Cuttlefish have THREE hearts, two of which pump blood to their gills, while the third circulates blood around the body.
5) Cuttlefish have BLUE BLOOD! This is due to the copper-rich protein its blood contains known as hemocyanin, which transports oxygen around the body - and not the fact they are aliens! (Mammal blood is red due to its iron-rich hemoglobin, which does the equivalent job. Thank you BBC!)
6) Cuttlefish have a doughnut-shaped brain, boasting the largest brain-to-body ratio of all invertebrates. Thankfully Homer Simpson does not know this or cuttlefish would be in trouble.
7) And last on our list for today - Cuttlefish might DREAM! This is just fantastic.
Researchers filming European cuttlefish in the lab observed short periods during their sleep states where individuals would erratically change color and body pattern, and make irregular eye and arm movements. This strange behavior, which was not repeated when awake or during inactive periods of ‘sleep’, wasn’t triggered by any external stimuli and was very different from normal cuttlefish activity. Were they dreaming? Sounds like it to me!
Check out the full article HERE.
Get ready as we will add some fun Cuttlefish items to the store very soon. Meanwhile, I hope your dreams are filled with adventures of Cephalopods in all their forms.
Tentacles and Blue Blood Rules!