Cuttlefish

14,000,000 Leading Edge Experts on the ideXlab platform

Scan Science and Technology

Contact Leading Edge Experts & Companies

Scan Science and Technology

Contact Leading Edge Experts & Companies

The Experts below are selected from a list of 6582 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

Ludovic Dickel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Early Exposure to Water Turbidity Affects Visual Capacities in Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)
    Frontiers in Physiology, 2021
    Co-Authors: Alice Goerger, Nadav Shashar, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq, Ludovic Dickel
    Abstract:

    In La Manche (English Channel) the level of turbidity changes, not only seasonally and daily in seawater but also along the coast. As a consequence, vision in marine species is limited when based only on contrast-intensity. It is hypothesized that polarization sensitivity (PS) may help individuals detect preys and predators in turbid environments. In the Cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, to date, all behavioral studies have been conducted on animals reared in clear water. But the Cuttlefish sensory system is adapted to a range of turbid environments. Our hypothesis was that rearing Cuttlefish in clear water may affect the development of their visual system, and potentially affect their visually guided behaviors. To test this, newly-hatched Cuttlefish, from eggs laid by females brought in from the wild, were reared for 1 month under three different conditions: clear water (C group), low turbidity (0.1 g / l of clay, 50–80 NTU, LT group) and high turbidity (0.5 g / l of clay, 300–400 NTU, HT group). The visual capacities of Cuttlefish were tested with an optomotor apparatus at 7 days and at 1 month post-hatching. Optomotor responses of juveniles were measured by using three screen patterns (black and white stripes, linearly polarized stripes set at different orientations, and a uniform gray screen). Optomotor responses of juveniles suggest that exposure to turbid water improves the development of their PS when tested in clear water (especially in LT group) but not when tested in turbid water. We suggest that the use of slightly turbid water in rearing systems may improve the development of vision in young Cuttlefish with no detrimental effect to their survival rate. Future research will consider water turbidity as a possible factor for the improvement of Cuttlefish well-being in artificial rearing systems.

  • Effects of embryonic exposure to predators on the postnatal defensive behaviors of Cuttlefish
    Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2020
    Co-Authors: Yao-chen Lee, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq, Ludovic Dickel, Chuanchin Chiao
    Abstract:

    Cuttlefish lack parental care and juveniles face a high predatory risk immediately after hatching. Previous studies have shown that the sensory systems of Cuttlefish are functional before hatching, and embryos can recognize predatory visual and chemical cues innately. However, it is not known whether the embryonic experience of predatory cues impacts their postnatal defensive behaviors. Cuttlefish eggs (Sepia pharaonis with transparent capsule and Sepia officinalis with black capsule) were separated into seven groups: one control group and six cue-exposure groups. Embryos in the cue-exposure groups were exposed to either one of three types of predatory cues (visual, chemical, and both) or one of three similar types of non-predatory cues. Primary and secondary defensive behaviors of the Cuttlefish hatchlings were examined at one week of age. The results showed that an early exposure to predatory cues in both species altered Cuttlefish's hatching time and their postnatal primary defensive behaviors. However, embryonic sensory experience had different impacts on defensive behaviors in two species of Cuttlefish. Specifically, visual information appeared to be more salient than olfactory information for S. pharaonis embryos, while both visual and olfactory cues seemed to influence S. officinalis embryos equally. These findings demonstrate that the embryonic sensory experiences of Cuttlefish from these two species differentially affect the development of defensive behaviors among hatchlings.

  • Effects of stimuli shape and polarization in evoking deimatic patterns in the European Cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, under varying turbidity conditions.
    Invertebrate Neuroscience, 2013
    Co-Authors: Lelia Cartron, Ludovic Dickel, Nadav Shashar, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq
    Abstract:

    Cuttlefish possess the complex ability to identify approaching threats and then to selectively express the appropriate defense. We examined the visual cues used by Sepia officinalis Cuttlefish during predator detection and the responses they selected. Using computer-generated stimuli, we set out to quantitate the deimatic responses to artificial looming stimuli of different shapes and contrasts. Defensive behavior gradually intensified as geometrical shapes resembled an image of a fish. Therefore, in addition to an object's size or its sudden increase in size, Cuttlefish use form recognition to identify a threat. Cuttlefish demonstrated equal performance in predator detection trough clear water when presented with intensity versus polarization contrasts. However, when the water turbidity increased, the Cuttlefish still detected looming fish shapes based on polarization contrast even when intensity information alone did not suffice. These results demonstrate the interplay between intensity and polarization information transmission and processing in the spatial domain. As nectobenthic organisms, Cuttlefish probably experience low visibility conditions on a regular basis. The ability to see further into turbid water and to better detect an approaching object would be beneficial for their survival.

  • Maturation of polarization and luminance contrast sensitivities in Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis).
    Journal of Experimental Biology, 2013
    Co-Authors: Lelia Cartron, Ludovic Dickel, Nadav Shashar, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq
    Abstract:

    Polarization sensitivity is a characteristic of the visual system of cephalopods. It has been well documented in adult Cuttlefish, which use polarization sensitivity in a large range of tasks such as communication, orientation and predation. Because Cuttlefish do not benefit from parental care, their visual system (including the ability to detect motion) must be efficient from hatching to enable them to detect prey or predators. We studied the maturation and functionality of polarization sensitivity in newly hatched Cuttlefish. In a first experiment, we examined the response of juvenile Cuttlefish from hatching to the age of 1 month towards a moving, vertically oriented grating (contrasting and polarized stripes) using an optomotor response apparatus. Cuttlefish showed differences in maturation of polarization versus luminance contrast motion detection. In a second experiment, we examined the involvement of polarization information in prey preference and detection in Cuttlefish of the same age. Cuttlefish preferentially chose not to attack transparent prey whose polarization contrast had been removed with a depolarizing filter. Performances of prey detection based on luminance contrast improved with age. Polarization contrast can help Cuttlefish detect transparent prey. Our results suggest that polarization is not a simple modulation of luminance information, but rather that it is processed as a distinct channel of visual information. Both luminance and polarization sensitivity are functional, though not fully matured, in newly hatched Cuttlefish and seem to help in prey detection.

  • The "prawn-in-the-tube" procedure: what do Cuttlefish learn and memorize?
    Behavioural brain research, 2012
    Co-Authors: Lelia Cartron, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq, Ludovic Dickel
    Abstract:

    For several decades the "prawn-in-the-tube" procedure has been extensively used in the exploration of behavioral plasticity and its neural correlates in Cuttlefish. Although the nature of the task has been characterized, the effect of reinforcement and the extent of different cues Cuttlefish can use to solve and memorize the task remain unclear. To determine whether Cuttlefish learned to inhibit predatory behavior because of pain incurred when the tentacles hit the glass tube, the shrimp prey (typically attacked with a tentacle strike) was replaced by crabs (normally caught by a jumping strategy, using all eight arms together, which is thought less likely to be painful). We showed that the Cuttlefish is still capable of learning inhibition of predatory behavior when it adopts another catching strategy, which suggests that pain from the tentacles hitting the tube has little effect on the learning process. The two latest experiments have shown that Cuttlefish do not learn to inhibit predatory behavior towards a specific type of prey, but rather learn and memorize visual (light polarization) and tactile information from the glass tube. The "prawn-in-the-tube" procedure is a powerful and user-friendly tool in the investigation of the processing and retention of multisensory information in invertebrates. Our recent findings now open up new areas of investigation into the neural correlates of learning and memory processes in Cuttlefish.

Anne-sophie Darmaillacq - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Early Exposure to Water Turbidity Affects Visual Capacities in Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)
    Frontiers in Physiology, 2021
    Co-Authors: Alice Goerger, Nadav Shashar, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq, Ludovic Dickel
    Abstract:

    In La Manche (English Channel) the level of turbidity changes, not only seasonally and daily in seawater but also along the coast. As a consequence, vision in marine species is limited when based only on contrast-intensity. It is hypothesized that polarization sensitivity (PS) may help individuals detect preys and predators in turbid environments. In the Cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, to date, all behavioral studies have been conducted on animals reared in clear water. But the Cuttlefish sensory system is adapted to a range of turbid environments. Our hypothesis was that rearing Cuttlefish in clear water may affect the development of their visual system, and potentially affect their visually guided behaviors. To test this, newly-hatched Cuttlefish, from eggs laid by females brought in from the wild, were reared for 1 month under three different conditions: clear water (C group), low turbidity (0.1 g / l of clay, 50–80 NTU, LT group) and high turbidity (0.5 g / l of clay, 300–400 NTU, HT group). The visual capacities of Cuttlefish were tested with an optomotor apparatus at 7 days and at 1 month post-hatching. Optomotor responses of juveniles were measured by using three screen patterns (black and white stripes, linearly polarized stripes set at different orientations, and a uniform gray screen). Optomotor responses of juveniles suggest that exposure to turbid water improves the development of their PS when tested in clear water (especially in LT group) but not when tested in turbid water. We suggest that the use of slightly turbid water in rearing systems may improve the development of vision in young Cuttlefish with no detrimental effect to their survival rate. Future research will consider water turbidity as a possible factor for the improvement of Cuttlefish well-being in artificial rearing systems.

  • Effects of embryonic exposure to predators on the postnatal defensive behaviors of Cuttlefish
    Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2020
    Co-Authors: Yao-chen Lee, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq, Ludovic Dickel, Chuanchin Chiao
    Abstract:

    Cuttlefish lack parental care and juveniles face a high predatory risk immediately after hatching. Previous studies have shown that the sensory systems of Cuttlefish are functional before hatching, and embryos can recognize predatory visual and chemical cues innately. However, it is not known whether the embryonic experience of predatory cues impacts their postnatal defensive behaviors. Cuttlefish eggs (Sepia pharaonis with transparent capsule and Sepia officinalis with black capsule) were separated into seven groups: one control group and six cue-exposure groups. Embryos in the cue-exposure groups were exposed to either one of three types of predatory cues (visual, chemical, and both) or one of three similar types of non-predatory cues. Primary and secondary defensive behaviors of the Cuttlefish hatchlings were examined at one week of age. The results showed that an early exposure to predatory cues in both species altered Cuttlefish's hatching time and their postnatal primary defensive behaviors. However, embryonic sensory experience had different impacts on defensive behaviors in two species of Cuttlefish. Specifically, visual information appeared to be more salient than olfactory information for S. pharaonis embryos, while both visual and olfactory cues seemed to influence S. officinalis embryos equally. These findings demonstrate that the embryonic sensory experiences of Cuttlefish from these two species differentially affect the development of defensive behaviors among hatchlings.

  • Effects of stimuli shape and polarization in evoking deimatic patterns in the European Cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, under varying turbidity conditions.
    Invertebrate Neuroscience, 2013
    Co-Authors: Lelia Cartron, Ludovic Dickel, Nadav Shashar, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq
    Abstract:

    Cuttlefish possess the complex ability to identify approaching threats and then to selectively express the appropriate defense. We examined the visual cues used by Sepia officinalis Cuttlefish during predator detection and the responses they selected. Using computer-generated stimuli, we set out to quantitate the deimatic responses to artificial looming stimuli of different shapes and contrasts. Defensive behavior gradually intensified as geometrical shapes resembled an image of a fish. Therefore, in addition to an object's size or its sudden increase in size, Cuttlefish use form recognition to identify a threat. Cuttlefish demonstrated equal performance in predator detection trough clear water when presented with intensity versus polarization contrasts. However, when the water turbidity increased, the Cuttlefish still detected looming fish shapes based on polarization contrast even when intensity information alone did not suffice. These results demonstrate the interplay between intensity and polarization information transmission and processing in the spatial domain. As nectobenthic organisms, Cuttlefish probably experience low visibility conditions on a regular basis. The ability to see further into turbid water and to better detect an approaching object would be beneficial for their survival.

  • Maturation of polarization and luminance contrast sensitivities in Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis).
    Journal of Experimental Biology, 2013
    Co-Authors: Lelia Cartron, Ludovic Dickel, Nadav Shashar, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq
    Abstract:

    Polarization sensitivity is a characteristic of the visual system of cephalopods. It has been well documented in adult Cuttlefish, which use polarization sensitivity in a large range of tasks such as communication, orientation and predation. Because Cuttlefish do not benefit from parental care, their visual system (including the ability to detect motion) must be efficient from hatching to enable them to detect prey or predators. We studied the maturation and functionality of polarization sensitivity in newly hatched Cuttlefish. In a first experiment, we examined the response of juvenile Cuttlefish from hatching to the age of 1 month towards a moving, vertically oriented grating (contrasting and polarized stripes) using an optomotor response apparatus. Cuttlefish showed differences in maturation of polarization versus luminance contrast motion detection. In a second experiment, we examined the involvement of polarization information in prey preference and detection in Cuttlefish of the same age. Cuttlefish preferentially chose not to attack transparent prey whose polarization contrast had been removed with a depolarizing filter. Performances of prey detection based on luminance contrast improved with age. Polarization contrast can help Cuttlefish detect transparent prey. Our results suggest that polarization is not a simple modulation of luminance information, but rather that it is processed as a distinct channel of visual information. Both luminance and polarization sensitivity are functional, though not fully matured, in newly hatched Cuttlefish and seem to help in prey detection.

  • The "prawn-in-the-tube" procedure: what do Cuttlefish learn and memorize?
    Behavioural brain research, 2012
    Co-Authors: Lelia Cartron, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq, Ludovic Dickel
    Abstract:

    For several decades the "prawn-in-the-tube" procedure has been extensively used in the exploration of behavioral plasticity and its neural correlates in Cuttlefish. Although the nature of the task has been characterized, the effect of reinforcement and the extent of different cues Cuttlefish can use to solve and memorize the task remain unclear. To determine whether Cuttlefish learned to inhibit predatory behavior because of pain incurred when the tentacles hit the glass tube, the shrimp prey (typically attacked with a tentacle strike) was replaced by crabs (normally caught by a jumping strategy, using all eight arms together, which is thought less likely to be painful). We showed that the Cuttlefish is still capable of learning inhibition of predatory behavior when it adopts another catching strategy, which suggests that pain from the tentacles hitting the tube has little effect on the learning process. The two latest experiments have shown that Cuttlefish do not learn to inhibit predatory behavior towards a specific type of prey, but rather learn and memorize visual (light polarization) and tactile information from the glass tube. The "prawn-in-the-tube" procedure is a powerful and user-friendly tool in the investigation of the processing and retention of multisensory information in invertebrates. Our recent findings now open up new areas of investigation into the neural correlates of learning and memory processes in Cuttlefish.

Chuanchin Chiao - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Visual Attack on the Moving Prey by Cuttlefish
    Frontiers in physiology, 2020
    Co-Authors: Arthur Hung, Yen-chen Lin, Chuanchin Chiao
    Abstract:

    Visual attack for prey capture in Cuttlefish involves three well characterized sequential stages: attention, positioning, and seizure. This visually guided behavior requires accurate sensorimotor integration of information on the target's direction and tentacular strike control. While the behavior of Cuttlefish visual attack on a stationary prey has been described qualitatively, the kinematics of visual attack on a moving target has not been analyzed quantitatively. A servomotor system controlling the movement of a shrimp prey and a high resolution imaging system recording the behavior of the Cuttlefish predator, together with the newly developed DeepLabCut image processing system, were used to examine the tactics used by Cuttlefish during a visual attack on moving prey. The results showed that Cuttlefish visually tracked a moving prey target using mainly body movement, and that they maintained a similar speed to that of the moving prey right before making their tentacular strike. When Cuttlefish shot out their tentacles for prey capture, they were able to either predict the target location based on the prey's speed and compensate for the inherent sensorimotor delay or adjust the trajectory of their tentacular strike according to the prey's direction of movement in order to account for any changes in prey position. These observations suggest that Cuttlefish use the various visual tactics available to them flexibly in order to capture moving prey, and that they are able to extract direction and speed information from moving prey in order to allow an accurate visual attack.

  • Effects of embryonic exposure to predators on the postnatal defensive behaviors of Cuttlefish
    Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2020
    Co-Authors: Yao-chen Lee, Anne-sophie Darmaillacq, Ludovic Dickel, Chuanchin Chiao
    Abstract:

    Cuttlefish lack parental care and juveniles face a high predatory risk immediately after hatching. Previous studies have shown that the sensory systems of Cuttlefish are functional before hatching, and embryos can recognize predatory visual and chemical cues innately. However, it is not known whether the embryonic experience of predatory cues impacts their postnatal defensive behaviors. Cuttlefish eggs (Sepia pharaonis with transparent capsule and Sepia officinalis with black capsule) were separated into seven groups: one control group and six cue-exposure groups. Embryos in the cue-exposure groups were exposed to either one of three types of predatory cues (visual, chemical, and both) or one of three similar types of non-predatory cues. Primary and secondary defensive behaviors of the Cuttlefish hatchlings were examined at one week of age. The results showed that an early exposure to predatory cues in both species altered Cuttlefish's hatching time and their postnatal primary defensive behaviors. However, embryonic sensory experience had different impacts on defensive behaviors in two species of Cuttlefish. Specifically, visual information appeared to be more salient than olfactory information for S. pharaonis embryos, while both visual and olfactory cues seemed to influence S. officinalis embryos equally. These findings demonstrate that the embryonic sensory experiences of Cuttlefish from these two species differentially affect the development of defensive behaviors among hatchlings.

  • Elemental Ratios in Cuttlebone Indicate Growth Rates in the Cuttlefish Sepia pharaonis
    Frontiers in Marine Science, 2020
    Co-Authors: Ming-tsung Chung, Chuanchin Chiao, Kuo-fang Huang, Chen Feng You, Chia-hui Wang
    Abstract:

    Cuttlebone is a hard calcified structure that supports the Cuttlefish body and aids in the regulation of buoyancy. The calcification rate of cuttlebone is high and is close to the growth rate of the Cuttlefish mantle. The growth rate of the body mantle may strongly influence the incorporation of elements into the cuttlebone; however, the process has not been well studied. This is the first study to examine trace element incorporation into cuttlebone in detail. Controlled laboratory experiments and analyses of wild-caught Cuttlefish revealed that both temperature and growth rate influence the elemental ratios of Li/Ca and Sr/Ca in cuttlebone. The variation in the elemental ratio was influenced the most by growth rates. After controlling for the minor influence of temperature, cuttlebone Li/Ca ratios appeared to be a potential proxy of Cuttlefish growth. The relationship between growth rate and temperature-corrected Li/Ca ratios is positive and linear, and the trend does not vary between the sexes or across most of the life stages. In addition, the Li/Ca ratio is a promising growth rate proxy for evaluating differences among wild populations of Cuttlefish, and the proxy could facilitate studies on Cuttlefish biology and Cuttlefish fisheries management.

  • Visual Equivalence and Amodal Completion in Cuttlefish.
    Frontiers in physiology, 2017
    Co-Authors: I-rong Lin, Chuanchin Chiao
    Abstract:

    Modern cephalopods are notably the most intelligent invertebrates and this is accompanied by keen vision. Despite extensive studies investigating the visual systems of cephalopods, little is known about their visual perception and object recognition. In the present study, we investigated the visual processing of the Cuttlefish Sepia pharaonis, including visual equivalence and amodal completion. Cuttlefish were trained to discriminate images of shrimp and fish using the operant conditioning paradigm. After Cuttlefish reached the learning criteria, a series of discrimination tasks were conducted. In the visual equivalence experiment, several transformed versions of the training images, such as images reduced in size, images reduced in contrast, sketches of the images, the contours of the images and silhouettes of the images, were used. In the amodal completion experiment, partially occluded views of the original images were used. The results showed that Cuttlefish were able to treat the training images of reduced size and sketches as the visual equivalence. Cuttlefish were also capable of recognizing partially occluded versions of the training image. Furthermore, individual differences in performance suggest that some Cuttlefish may be able to recognize objects when visual information was partly removed. These findings support the hypothesis that the visual perception of Cuttlefish involves both visual equivalence and amodal completion. The results from this research also provide insights into the visual processing mechanisms used by cephalopods.

  • Number sense and state-dependent valuation in Cuttlefish
    Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2016
    Co-Authors: Tsang-i Yang, Chuanchin Chiao
    Abstract:

    Identifying the amount of prey available is an important part of an animal's foraging behaviour. The risk-sensitive foraging theory predicts that an organism's foraging decisions with regard to food rewards depending upon its satiation level. However, the precise interaction between optimal risk-tolerance and satiation level remains unclear. In this study, we examined, firstly, whether Cuttlefish, with one of the most highly evolved nervous system among the invertebrates, have number sense, and secondly, whether their valuation of food reward is satiation state dependent. When food such as live shrimps is present, without training, Cuttlefish turn toward the prey and initiate seizure behaviour. Using this visual attack behaviour as a measure, Cuttlefish showed a preference for a larger quantity when faced with two-alternative forced choice tasks (1 versus 2, 2 versus 3, 3 versus 4 and 4 versus 5). However, Cuttlefish preferred the small quantity when the choice was between one live and two dead shrimps. More importantly, when the choice was between one large live shrimp and two small live shrimps (a prey size and quantity trade-off), the Cuttlefish chose the large single shrimp when they felt hunger, but chose the two smaller prey when they were satiated. These results demonstrate that Cuttlefish are capable of number discrimination and that their choice of prey number depends on the quality of the prey and on their appetite state. The findings also suggest that Cuttlefish integrate both internal and external information when making a foraging decision and that the cost of obtaining food is inversely correlated with their satiation level, a phenomenon similar to the observation that metabolic state alters economic decision making under risk among humans.

Raymond Chichery - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Orientation in the Cuttlefish Sepia officinalis: response versus place learning.
    Animal Cognition, 2007
    Co-Authors: Christelle Jozet-alves, Raymond Chichery, Jean Geary Boal, Ludovic Dickel
    Abstract:

    Several studies have demonstrated that mammals, birds and fish use comparable spatial learning strategies. Unfortunately, except in insects, few studies have investigated spatial learning mechanisms in invertebrates. Our study aimed to identify the strategies used by Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) to solve a spatial task commonly used with vertebrates. A new spatial learning procedure using a T-maze was designed. In this maze, the Cuttlefish learned how to enter a dark and sandy compartment. A preliminary test confirmed that individual Cuttlefish showed an untrained side-turning preference (preference for turning right or left) in the T-maze. This preference could be reliably detected in a single probe trial. In the following two experiments, each individual was trained to enter the compartment opposite to its side-turning preference. In Experiment 1, distal visual cues were provided around the maze. In Experiment 2, the T-maze was surrounded by curtains and two proximal visual cues were provided above the apparatus. In both experiments, after acquisition, strategies used by Cuttlefish to orient in the T-maze were tested by creating a conflict between the formerly rewarded algorithmic behaviour (turn, response learning) and the visual cues identifying the goal (place learning). Most Cuttlefish relied on response learning in Experiment 1; the two strategies were used equally often in Experiment 2. In these experiments, the salience of cues provided during the experiment determined whether Cuttlefish used response or place learning to solve this spatial task. Our study demonstrates for the first time the presence of multiple spatial strategies in Cuttlefish that appear to closely parallel those described in vertebrates.

  • Developmental study of multiple memory stages in the Cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis.
    Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 2006
    Co-Authors: Véronique Agin, Ludovic Dickel, Raymond Chichery, Roseline Poirier, Marie-paule Chichery
    Abstract:

    The inhibition of predatory behavior observed during the "prawn-in-the-tube" procedure has been extensively used in studies of Cuttlefish learning. The present study examines the effect of age on the conditioning of this response in the Cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis. Data show that a significant increase in acquisition performance occurs between 15 and 21 days of age. The retention curves in 8- and 15-day-old Cuttlefish show a monotonic memory process, presumably reflecting the presence of only short-term memory. In 21-day-old Cuttlefish, there are two distinct processes which could be a labile short-term memory, and a subsequent intermediate memory. These mnesic systems seem to become more effective over the course of post-embryonic development. Moreover, the retention curves obtained in the oldest Cuttlefish (30- and 90-day-old) bear a close resemblance to that observed in adults. These behavioral findings will allow further work on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of learning and memory in the Cuttlefish.

  • Rapid taste aversion learning in adult Cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis
    Animal Behaviour, 2004
    Co-Authors: Anne-sophie Darmaillacq, Ludovic Dickel, Marie-paule Chichery, Véronique Agin, Raymond Chichery
    Abstract:

    The common Cuttlefish is an opportunistic predator with certain prey preferences. The literature suggests that learning plays a role in the predatory behaviour of Cuttlefish. However, nothing is known about taste aversion learning in cephalopods. We developed a learning procedure in which the preferred prey of the experimental Cuttlefish was made distasteful by a bitter taste (quinine). In the training session, the modified prey was repeatedly presented until the experimental Cuttlefish stopped attacking it. Of 32 experimental Cuttlefish, 26 attacked a different prey from the originally preferred one when both were presented in a choice test 24 or 72 h after learning. In contrast, matched control Cuttlefish that had not been subjected to negative reinforcement continued to choose the initially preferred prey under identical test conditions. These results are the first demonstration of taste aversion learning in cephalopods. They underline essential adaptive functions in Cuttlefish and the flexibility of their feeding behaviour. Cuttlefish were able to learn that a prey is not acceptable food, even if they usually preyed on it, to recognize it and to avoid it for several days and as a result to eat a usually nonpreferred prey.

  • effect of early feeding experience on subsequent prey preference by Cuttlefish sepia officinalis
    Developmental Psychobiology, 2004
    Co-Authors: Anne-sophie Darmaillacq, Roseline Poirier, Raymond Chichery, Ludovic Dickel
    Abstract:

    Food preferences were investigated in Cuttlefish during the first 3 months' posthatching, using choice tests between crabs, shrimps, and young fish. The results showed that without previous feeding experience, Cuttlefish preferred shrimps on Day 3. This suggests an innate food preference; however, it was possible to induce a preference for an originally nonpreferred prey item in 3-day-old and naive Cuttlefish, demonstrating the flexibility of this initial behavioral preference in response to previous individual experience. This preference suggests a learning process involving a form of long-term memory, demonstrated for the first time in juvenile Cuttlefish. Until Day 30, juvenile Cuttlefish fed exclusively shrimps chose shrimps. This preference probably depends on their previous feeding experience. Finally, it appears that from Day 60, Cuttlefish reared on the same restricted diet have a tendency to switch their preference to novel prey items, which diversify their diet.

  • Effects of rearing conditions on sand digging efficiency in juvenile Cuttlefish.
    Behavioural processes, 2004
    Co-Authors: Roseline Poirier, Raymond Chichery, Ludovic Dickel
    Abstract:

    The effect of environment on the maturation of sand digging behaviour in Cuttlefish was studied. Sand digging behaviour of Cuttlefish individually reared on sand was daily observed in their rearing tanks (first study). Other Cuttlefish were individually reared from hatching to 2 weeks of life in different conditions (Group A, on a sandy substrate and group B, without sand). At days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15, Cuttlefish from Groups A and B were placed in a novel tank, the bottom of which was covered by sand (second study). The first study shows that more and more Cuttlefish sand dig in their rearing tank during the first 6 days of life. The second study shows that, confronted with a novel sand bottom, Cuttlefish from Group A show shorter latencies of sand digging and they cover more completely than do Cuttlefish from Group B. This indicates that the developmental changes in sand digging appear not totally pre-programmed, but at least partially experience-dependent. Presence of sand in rearing tanks may allow Cuttlefish to acquire experience of digging to make this behaviour more efficient.

Roger T. Hanlon - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Cuttlefish adjust body pattern intensity with respect to substrate intensity to aid camouflage but do not camouflage in extremely low light
    Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2015
    Co-Authors: Kendra C. Buresch, Lydia M. Mäthger, Kimberly M. Ulmer, Derya Akkaynak, Justine J Allen, Mario Nakamura, Roger T. Hanlon
    Abstract:

    Abstract Cuttlefish are able to camouflage to a wide variety of natural backgrounds that contain varying colors, intensities and patterns. Numerous studies have investigated the visual cues that influence Cuttlefish body pattern expression, yet none have addressed experimentally how well overall intensity is matched between animal and substrate. Here, Cuttlefish were tested on artificial and natural substrates that varied in intensity and were illuminated by different light levels; calibrated grayscale photographs were used to analyze the intensity of Cuttlefish and their surrounding substrates. We found that Cuttlefish scaled their body pattern intensity with respect to substrate intensity under bright and moderate lighting conditions, but not under low or extremely low lighting conditions. Surprisingly, in extremely low light (

  • Defensive Responses of Cuttlefish to Different Teleost Predators
    The Biological bulletin, 2013
    Co-Authors: Michelle D. Staudinger, Lydia M. Mäthger, Kendra C. Buresch, Charlie Fry, Sarah Mcanulty, Kimberly M. Ulmer, Roger T. Hanlon
    Abstract:

    We evaluated Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) re- sponses to three teleost predators: bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), and black seabass (Centropristis striata). We hypothesized that the distinct body shapes, swimming behaviors, and preda- tion tactics exhibited by the three fishes would elicit mark- edly different antipredator responses by Cuttlefish. Over the course of 25 predator-prey behavioral trials, 3 primary and 15 secondary defense behaviors of Cuttlefish were shown to predators. In contrast, secondary defenses were not shown during control trials in which predators were absent. With seabass—a benthic, sit-and-pursue predator— Cuttlefish used flight and spent more time swimming in the water column than with other predators. With bluefish—an active, pelagic searching predator— Cuttlefish remained closely as- sociated with the substrate and relied more on cryptic be- haviors. Startle (deimatic) displays were the most frequent secondary defense shown to seabass and bluefish, particu- larly the Dark eye ring and Deimatic spot displays. We were unable to evaluate secondary defenses by Cuttlefish to floun- der—a lie-and-wait predator— because flounder did not pursue Cuttlefish or make attacks. Nonetheless, Cuttlefish used primary defense during flounder trials, alternating be- tween cryptic still and moving behaviors. Overall, our re- sults suggest that Cuttlefish may vary their behavior in the presence of different teleost predators: cryptic behaviors may be more important in the presence of active searching predators (e.g., bluefish), while conspicuous movements such as swimming in the water column and startle displays may be more prevalent with relatively sedentary, bottom- associated predators (e.g., seabass).

  • Defensive Responses of Cuttlefish to Different
    2013
    Co-Authors: Michelle D. Staudingera, Lydia M. Mäthger, Charlie Fry, Sarah Mcanulty, Kimberly M. Ulmer, Rendra C. Bureschc, Roger T. Hanlon
    Abstract:

    We evaluated Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) re sponses to three teleost predators: bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), and black seabass (Centropristis striata). We hypothesized that the distinct body shapes, swimming behaviors, and preda tion tactics exhibited by the three fishes would elicit mark edly different antipredator responses by Cuttlefish. Over the course of 25 predator-prey behavioral trials, 3 primary and 15 secondary defense behaviors of Cuttlefish were shown to predators. In contrast, secondary defenses were not shown during control trials in which predators were absent. With seabass—a benthic, sit-and-pursue predator—Cuttlefish used flight and spent more time swimming in the water column than with other predators. With bluefish—an active, pelagic searching predator—Cuttlefish remained closely as sociated with the substrate and relied more on cryptic be haviors. Startle (deimatic) displays were the most frequent secondary defense shown to seabass and bluefish, particu larly the Dark eye ring and Deimatic spot displays. We were unable to evaluate secondary defenses by Cuttlefish to floun der—a lie-and-wait predator—because flounder did not pursue Cuttlefish or make attacks. Nonetheless, Cuttlefish used primary defense during flounder trials, alternating be tween cryptic still and moving behaviors. Overall, our re sults suggest that Cuttlefish may vary their behavior in the presence of different teleost predators: cryptic behaviors may be more important in the presence of active searching predators (e.g., bluefish), while conspicuous movements such as swimming in the water column and startle displays may be more prevalent with relatively sedentary, bottom associated predators (e.g., seabass).

  • Vertical Visual Features Have a Strong Influence on Cuttlefish Camouflage
    The Biological bulletin, 2013
    Co-Authors: Kimberly M. Ulmer, Lydia M. Mäthger, Kendra C. Buresch, M. M. Kossodo, Liese A. Siemann, Roger T. Hanlon
    Abstract:

    Cuttlefish and other cephalopods use visual cues from their surroundings to adaptively change their body pattern for camouflage. Numerous previous experiments have demonstrated the influence of two-dimensional (2D) substrates (e.g., sand and gravel habitats) on camouflage, yet many marine habitats have varied three-dimensional (3D) structures among which Cuttlefish camouflage from predators, including benthic predators that view Cuttlefish horizontally against such 3D backgrounds. We conducted laboratory experiments, using Sepia officinalis, to test the relative influence of horizontal versus vertical visual cues on Cuttlefish camouflage: 2D patterns on benthic substrates were tested versus 2D wall patterns and 3D objects with patterns. Specifically, we investigated the influence of (i) quantity and (ii) placement of high-contrast elements on a 3D object or a 2D wall, as well as (iii) the diameter and (iv) number of 3D objects with high-contrast elements on Cuttlefish body pattern expression. Additionally...

  • Night vision by Cuttlefish enables changeable camouflage
    Journal of Experimental Biology, 2010
    Co-Authors: Justine J Allen, Lydia M. Mäthger, Kendra C. Buresch, Thomas Fetchko, Meg Gardner, Roger T. Hanlon
    Abstract:

    Because visual predation occurs day and night, many predators must have good night vision. Prey therefore exhibit antipredator behaviours in very dim light. In the field, the giant Australian Cuttlefish (Sepia apama) assumes camouflaged body patterns at night, each tailored to its immediate environment. However, the question of whether Cuttlefish have the perceptual capability to change their camouflage at night (as they do in day) has not been addressed. In this study, we: (1) monitored the camouflage patterns of Sepia officinalis during the transition from daytime to night-time using a natural daylight cycle and (2) tested whether Cuttlefish on a particular artificial substrate change their camouflage body patterns when the substrate is changed under dim light (down to starlight, 0.003 lux) in a controlled light field in a dark room setting. We found that Cuttlefish camouflage patterns are indeed adaptable at night: animals responded to a change in their visual environment with the appropriate body pattern change. Whether to deceive their prey or predators, Cuttlefish use their excellent night vision to perform adaptive camouflage in dim light.

Related terms

Cuttlefish - 15 days free trial to Access Experts & Abstracts