Flamboyant Cuttlefish

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Welcome to the next installment of Shit That Can Kill You Fridays!
This week features the Flamboyant Cuttlefish.

Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends the cuttlefish. These cephalopods  are tiny (about 3 in.), brightly colored and cute enough to, well, cuddle. EXCEPT DON'T DO THAT. the Cuttlefish is the third known cephalopod to have a toxin of any kind, and it packs a punch.

The muscle tissue of the Flamboyant Cuttlefish contains a powerful toxin. It is as lethal as the blue-ringed octopus, but that is a topic for another Friday. The toxin is rare which has created a problem for science nerds. Since it is rare, it is hard to study and so they do not fully understand it. This is very problematic when trying to create medicines to counter the toxin's effects. All I was able to find out about the Flamboyant Cuttlefish's toxin is that it is lethal. I'm not really sure how it gets you from point A (living) to point B (dead) but I think its more about the destination than the journey in this case.

"Hold up there, Chuck", you foolishly thought to yourself. "If its only toxic when digested, what's the big deal? People don't eat Cuttlefish." First of all, don't call me chuck. Second, yes, I can read your mind. And Third, OF COURSE people eat them. The Mediterranean loves to cook with Cuttlefish. The French love them too which is no surprise coming from a culture that eats snails. And those zany Asians love to dry them to create what I imagine to be Cuttlefish jerky. Like other toxic animals, if cooked properly, the Cuttlefish is safe to eat. But if you ask me, it ain't worth it.

Like the octopus, the Flamboyant Cuttlefish can change color. Normally they use this ability to camouflage themselves with their surroundings. But when a predator is near they change to a bright red. Changing from camouflage to a bright color in the presence of a predator seems counter intuitive. However, this is believed to be used as a signal to the predator that they are toxic and should not be eaten.

*COOL FACT ALERT*
Science has been working to integrate the biological color changing seen in the Cuttlefish with clothing. The "Smart Clothing" created by engineers at the University of Bristol uses dielectric elastomer actuators to mimic our dear friend, the Cuttlefish. Their goal is to create a new kind of camouflage for the military which sounds dope.

Stay safe out there.

-- 
Charles R Mercer
Amateur Oceanographer