Common Cuttlefish
Sepia officinalis
Sighting evidence at Procida Island, Pozzuoli / Baiae
Photo: Dennis Rabeling · CC BY-NC-ND
Common cuttlefish are a highlight of Procida's southern wall, where they hover in open water adjusting their chromatophores in real time — pulsing hypnotic wave patterns along their mantle to communicate or confuse prey. Spring brings pairs engaged in elaborate courtship displays before females attach egg clusters to sea fan branches at around 15 metres, and these nursery sites can be reliably revisited over successive weeks. Their intelligence is on full display for patient divers: individuals have been observed appearing to problem-solve and returning to inspect novel objects placed near their territory.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Common Cuttlefish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.