Embracing Their Prey at That Dark Hour: Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) Can Hunt in Nighttime Light Conditions

Melanie Brauckhoff; Magnus Wahlberg; Jens Ådne Rekkedal Haga; Hans Erik Karlsen; Maria Wilson

doi:10.3389/fphys.2020.00525

Embracing Their Prey at That Dark Hour: Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) Can Hunt in Nighttime Light Conditions

Melanie Brauckhoff, Magnus Wahlberg, Jens Ådne Rekkedal Haga, Hans Erik Karlsen, Maria Wilson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Cuttlefish are highly efficient predators, which strongly rely on their anterior binocular visual field for hunting and prey capture. Their complex eyes possess adaptations for low light conditions. Recently, it was discovered that they display camouflaging behavior at night, perhaps to avoid detection by predators, or to increase their nighttime hunting success. This raises the question whether cuttlefish are capable of foraging during nighttime. In the present study, prey capture of the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) was filmed with a high-speed video camera in different light conditions. Experiments were performed in daylight and with near-infrared light sources in two simulated nightlight conditions, as well as in darkness. The body of the common cuttlefish maintained a velocity of less than 0.1 m/s during prey capture, while the tentacles during the seizing phase reached velocities of up to 2.5 m/s and accelerations reached more than 450 m/s² for single individuals. There was no significant difference between the day and nighttime trials, respectively. In complete darkness, the common cuttlefish was unable to catch any prey. Our results show that the common cuttlefish are capable of catching prey during day- and nighttime light conditions. The common cuttlefish employ similar sensory motor systems and prey capturing techniques during both day- and nighttime conditions.

Original language	English
Article number	525
Journal	Frontiers in Physiology
Volume	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00525
Publication status	Published - Jun 10 2020
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank Kristian Vedel and Michael Hansen at the Øresund Aquarium, Denmark for providing S. officinalis and guidance on cuttlefish husbandry, and Espen Grønlie at the University of Oslo for fruitful discussions. We thank the technical staff at the Marine Biological Station Drøbak and René Lynge Eriksen, University of Southern Denmark, for the help with measuring and calibrating the light sources. We thank Adam Smith, postdoctoral researcher at the Marine Biological Research Centre, University of Southern Denmark for proofreading this manuscript. Funding. This work was funded by grants from the Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Sciences and the Carlsberg Foundation (Carlsbergfondet: CF14-0444), both to MWi, and Finn Jørgen Walvigs Foundation.

Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2020 Brauckhoff, Wahlberg, Haga, Karlsen and Wilson.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Physiology
Physiology (medical)

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10.3389/fphys.2020.00525

Cite this

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title = "Embracing Their Prey at That Dark Hour: Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) Can Hunt in Nighttime Light Conditions",

abstract = "Cuttlefish are highly efficient predators, which strongly rely on their anterior binocular visual field for hunting and prey capture. Their complex eyes possess adaptations for low light conditions. Recently, it was discovered that they display camouflaging behavior at night, perhaps to avoid detection by predators, or to increase their nighttime hunting success. This raises the question whether cuttlefish are capable of foraging during nighttime. In the present study, prey capture of the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) was filmed with a high-speed video camera in different light conditions. Experiments were performed in daylight and with near-infrared light sources in two simulated nightlight conditions, as well as in darkness. The body of the common cuttlefish maintained a velocity of less than 0.1 m/s during prey capture, while the tentacles during the seizing phase reached velocities of up to 2.5 m/s and accelerations reached more than 450 m/s2 for single individuals. There was no significant difference between the day and nighttime trials, respectively. In complete darkness, the common cuttlefish was unable to catch any prey. Our results show that the common cuttlefish are capable of catching prey during day- and nighttime light conditions. The common cuttlefish employ similar sensory motor systems and prey capturing techniques during both day- and nighttime conditions.",

author = "Melanie Brauckhoff and Magnus Wahlberg and Haga, {Jens {\AA}dne Rekkedal} and Karlsen, {Hans Erik} and Maria Wilson",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Kristian Vedel and Michael Hansen at the {\O}resund Aquarium, Denmark for providing S. officinalis and guidance on cuttlefish husbandry, and Espen Gr{\o}nlie at the University of Oslo for fruitful discussions. We thank the technical staff at the Marine Biological Station Dr{\o}bak and Ren{\'e} Lynge Eriksen, University of Southern Denmark, for the help with measuring and calibrating the light sources. We thank Adam Smith, postdoctoral researcher at the Marine Biological Research Centre, University of Southern Denmark for proofreading this manuscript. Funding. This work was funded by grants from the Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Sciences and the Carlsberg Foundation (Carlsbergfondet: CF14-0444), both to MWi, and Finn J{\o}rgen Walvigs Foundation. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright {\textcopyright} 2020 Brauckhoff, Wahlberg, Haga, Karlsen and Wilson.",

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T2 - Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) Can Hunt in Nighttime Light Conditions

AU - Brauckhoff, Melanie

AU - Wahlberg, Magnus

AU - Haga, Jens Ådne Rekkedal

AU - Karlsen, Hans Erik

AU - Wilson, Maria

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Kristian Vedel and Michael Hansen at the Øresund Aquarium, Denmark for providing S. officinalis and guidance on cuttlefish husbandry, and Espen Grønlie at the University of Oslo for fruitful discussions. We thank the technical staff at the Marine Biological Station Drøbak and René Lynge Eriksen, University of Southern Denmark, for the help with measuring and calibrating the light sources. We thank Adam Smith, postdoctoral researcher at the Marine Biological Research Centre, University of Southern Denmark for proofreading this manuscript. Funding. This work was funded by grants from the Danish Council for Independent Research, Natural Sciences and the Carlsberg Foundation (Carlsbergfondet: CF14-0444), both to MWi, and Finn Jørgen Walvigs Foundation. Publisher Copyright: © Copyright © 2020 Brauckhoff, Wahlberg, Haga, Karlsen and Wilson.

PY - 2020/6/10

Y1 - 2020/6/10

N2 - Cuttlefish are highly efficient predators, which strongly rely on their anterior binocular visual field for hunting and prey capture. Their complex eyes possess adaptations for low light conditions. Recently, it was discovered that they display camouflaging behavior at night, perhaps to avoid detection by predators, or to increase their nighttime hunting success. This raises the question whether cuttlefish are capable of foraging during nighttime. In the present study, prey capture of the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) was filmed with a high-speed video camera in different light conditions. Experiments were performed in daylight and with near-infrared light sources in two simulated nightlight conditions, as well as in darkness. The body of the common cuttlefish maintained a velocity of less than 0.1 m/s during prey capture, while the tentacles during the seizing phase reached velocities of up to 2.5 m/s and accelerations reached more than 450 m/s2 for single individuals. There was no significant difference between the day and nighttime trials, respectively. In complete darkness, the common cuttlefish was unable to catch any prey. Our results show that the common cuttlefish are capable of catching prey during day- and nighttime light conditions. The common cuttlefish employ similar sensory motor systems and prey capturing techniques during both day- and nighttime conditions.

AB - Cuttlefish are highly efficient predators, which strongly rely on their anterior binocular visual field for hunting and prey capture. Their complex eyes possess adaptations for low light conditions. Recently, it was discovered that they display camouflaging behavior at night, perhaps to avoid detection by predators, or to increase their nighttime hunting success. This raises the question whether cuttlefish are capable of foraging during nighttime. In the present study, prey capture of the common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) was filmed with a high-speed video camera in different light conditions. Experiments were performed in daylight and with near-infrared light sources in two simulated nightlight conditions, as well as in darkness. The body of the common cuttlefish maintained a velocity of less than 0.1 m/s during prey capture, while the tentacles during the seizing phase reached velocities of up to 2.5 m/s and accelerations reached more than 450 m/s2 for single individuals. There was no significant difference between the day and nighttime trials, respectively. In complete darkness, the common cuttlefish was unable to catch any prey. Our results show that the common cuttlefish are capable of catching prey during day- and nighttime light conditions. The common cuttlefish employ similar sensory motor systems and prey capturing techniques during both day- and nighttime conditions.

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M1 - 525

ER -

Embracing Their Prey at That Dark Hour: Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) Can Hunt in Nighttime Light Conditions

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

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