Cuttlefish Use Disco-Like Arm Signals to Communicate

Rapid Summary

• Scientists have identified four distinct arm-wave signals in cuttlefish: “up,” “side,” “roll,” adn “crown.”
• The study focused on two species, common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) and dwarf cuttlefish (Sepia bandensis), noting these gestures may serve as visual and vibrational interaction.
• Examples of the signals:

– Up: Arms extended upward while twisting others together in the middle.- Side: All arms moved to one side of the body.
– Roll: Arms folded beneath the head with eyes bulging out.
– Crown: Fingertip-like formation resembling a pyramid shape.

• Recordings showed cuttlefish responding both visually to gestures and vibrationally via water pressure changes-possibly detected by their statocysts or sensory cells along their skin,similar to systems used by fish.
• Researchers suggest these behaviors could represent communication among cuttlefish, but further studies are needed before considering it true “sign language.”

Image: Close-up of a common cuttlefish underwater shown waving arms [source image]. Another loop displays all four “waving” types done by individual animals [animated GIF].

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Indian Opinion Analysis
This discovery highlights emerging insights into animal intelligence and complex communication strategies, offering potential parallels for studying India’s rich biodiversity like octopuses in Indian waters or smart marine organisms inhabiting coastal ecosystems such as Andaman & Nicobar Islands or Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve whose uses role stronger-recon systems