In vibrant swatches of moving color, the flamboyant cuttlefish have made quite a splash on Central Wharf. For the past several weeks, these small relatives of octopuses and squid have been living in the Tropical Gallery, showing off their ability to instantly change color or using their arms to “walk” across the exhibit floor. Only reaching 3 inches in length, these little animals are a visitor, and staff, favorite!

The colorful flamboyant cuttlefish

Hiding underneath a sea urchin

Mating behavior spotted on exhibit

Cuttlefish eggs...can you find the eye?

Egg tumbler keeps the eggs gently moving

Can you see it?

Big attitude in a teeny, tiny body

The Aquarium is all turtle, all the time this summer. But there are still thousands of other animals, just swimming there and being fascinating! Just this week, the pharaoh cuttlefish began laying eggs. It's a process that can take a couple days. Luckily, aquarist Brianne Dent was on hand to record a quick video of this special event!


These eggs should be fertilized since Brianne has observed breeding behavior between individuals. Visit in the next few days and you might be able to see the eggs! They will probably only stay on exhibit for a few days so they can mature and stabilize a bit. But as soon as it's save, the aquarists will take the eggs behind the scenes—away from the hungry mouths of the urchins.

Pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis)

Behind the scenes, the eggs will go into a holding tank and we will rear them behind the scenes for the next generation of pharaoh cuttlefish for the exhibit! The animals on exhibit are currently from wild caught eggs that were hatched out by our colleagues at a fellow aquarium. That means they have good genetic stock and aren’t too inbred, which can be a problem with captive cuttlefish.

More cuttle time:

• See pictures of the pharaoh cuttlefish when the were tinier. 
• The wildest slow-motion cuttlefish video you'll see. Ever.
• Get to know the common cuttlefish with some gee-whiz fun facts.
• One time the dwarf cuttlefish laid eggs, too.

A male twig catfish protects its eggs

Some of the fish have paired off and are treating visitors to a very special sight: eggs! Twig catfish usually lay eggs on open vertical surfaces such as submerged vegetation or rocks—or in this case, the window. The eggs lie in a single layer and are guarded by the male.

You'll find this highlight in the anaconda exhibit. Which is more exciting—giant snakes or tiny fish eggs?!

The males have their work cut out for them. Large discus in the exhibit are eyeing the tasty clutch of eggs, so the farlowella are having to stay on guard. In this video you'll see how the catfish have to swat at the ever-present discus.



If the farlowella manage to protect their eggs from predators, the larva will hatch into the exhibit. Though, just like in the wild, most do not survive. Either way the eggs can only be seen on exhibit for a couple days.

Eggs, twig catfish and a hungry, hungry discus

A discus: Mmmm, fish eggs

The next time you visit the Aquarium, head up to the Amazon Rainforest exhibits. You might just see a very cool fish behavior right before your eyes! Plus, a glimpse of a steamy tropical rainforest is a great way to escape the snow. Just sayin'.

There are thousands of marine animals around the Aquarium—some are small, some are shy and some have unusual lifestyles, at least by human standards.

Take the Little Banggai cardinalfish, (Pterapogon kauderni), for instance.

 
Banggai cardinalfish in the Aquarium's Living Corals exhibit

You can find this species in the “Living Corals” exhibit, (the tank closest to the Gift Shop on the first level). Native to the Banggai Islands of Indonesia, its good looks and ease of breeding make it a popular species in the aquarium trade. Popularity has also created a challenge for the species in the wild—it is currently listed as an endangered species on the IUCN red list.


Male Benggai cardinalfish carrying eggs in his mouth

This is a small, but elegant animal. Look for the fish that appears to be ready for a black tie event, with his black stripes and dramatically forked tail. He sports a sequined gleam and stylishly tasseled fins, sprinkled with decorative white dots. Practically speaking, the cardinalfish’s glamorous attire is suited to his life camouflaged amidst sea grasses, anemones and the long, black spines of the mildly venomous urchin, Diadema.

 
Follow the arrow to see the eggs sitting in this father's mouth.

Now look a little closer—he might not only be ready for a formal night out, he might also be ready for a visit to the maternity ward! If you see a fish with a distinctly larger jaw, you may be looking at a male brooding his young. He has a large oral cavity to accommodate the eggs and young that he nurtures attentively.



In fact, this father doesn’t need the maternity ward for help birthing; he does just fine on his own. You may see him roll the pinkish eggs to rearrange and oxygenate them. Once the eggs have hatched you may even see some tiny eyes peeking out when the male stretches his mouth. As the fry grow and are more difficult to contain, you might see a flurry of fins emerging from the male’s bulging mouth.

When his favorite food is presented in the exhibit, you may see him scurry—in the opposite direction! He doesn’t want to risk any of his young escaping his protection and becoming part of the food chain. In this way he protects his brood of up to 25 young for about 4 to 5 weeks, without ever taking a meal himself. Phew! After that, he might really need a night out!



The aquarists who take care of this exhibit leave a fry collector in the tank overnight in the attempt to catch these babies. We'll update you more on these efforts another time. Stay tuned!

– Lisbeth

What has 18 tentacles, 9 beaks, 72 arms and thousands of color changing cells?
It’s the cuttlefish exhibit in the New England Aquarium’s Tropical Gallery!



Located on the first level of the exhibit area, the cuttlefish exhibit is currently home to nine dwarf cuttlefish (Sepia bandensis). These small, four inch relatives of squids and octopuses are cephalopods, meaning “head-foot.” And they do look like they are just that: a head and a bunch of feet! Most noticeable on the front of their bodies are their two feeding tentacles and eight arms that they use these to snare prey, like shrimp and small fish. Once the food is caught, the cuttlefish breaks up the food with their hard beak and it’s snack time!






And while this entry was being written, the cuttlefish went and did something that makes the exhibit even more amazing-they laid eggs! Each of the small, ink colored eggs contains a growing cuttlefish that will hatch in approximately 25-30 days. If you visit soon, you may still see the eggs. However, our aquarists will remove the eggs soon in hopes of hatching, and then raising, some new cuttlefish for the exhibit. Here's a good image that shows what to look for in the exhibit.


So come visit these tentacled, color-changing flying saucers. They might be small, but great things do come in small packages.

-Jo

Aquarist Dave Wedge recently grabbed some special video of a female Acadian hermit crab (Pagurus acadianus) hatching her eggs. You can see her remove her tail from her shell to fan the eggs so the larvae can disperse into the water column. Those larvae are tough to see, but look carefully and you can spot them sparkling at the surface of the water during the close-up!



Female hermit crabs carry their eggs for a couple weeks before releasing the larvae into the water. You might be able to spot this kind of behavior at the Aquarium's Edge of Sea exhibit the next time you visit! Just ask anyone with the Aquarium logo on their shirt to point out a hermit crab in this hands-on touch tank.


Edge of the Sea exhibit