The secret life of the giant Australian cuttlefish Sepia apama (Cephalopoda): Behaviour and energetics in nature revealed through radio acoustic positioning and telemetry (RAPT)

J. P. Aitken; R. K. O'Dor; G. D. Jackson

doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2004.12.040

The secret life of the giant Australian cuttlefish Sepia apama (Cephalopoda): Behaviour and energetics in nature revealed through radio acoustic positioning and telemetry (RAPT)

J. P. Aitken, R. K. O'Dor, G. D. Jackson

Medicine

Medicine

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

42 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Sepia apama were tagged with acoustic transmitters and monitored on their native House Reef, Boston Bay, South Australia, with a radio acoustic positioning telemetry (RAPT) system. Cuttlefish were tagged with position-only and intra-mantle jet pressure transmitters. New data analyses were developed to handle problem data that arise with an uneven reef environment. Maximum range for the cuttlefish varied from 90 m to 550 m. Cuttlefish home range was between 5300 m² and 23,700 m². S. apama were found to be diurnal as average distance travelled was higher in the day than at night, and cuttlefish were active for 32 days, but only 18 nights. After the cuttlefish settled into reef crevices, activity spectrum and positioning analysis showed foraging behaviour at only 3.7% per day and 2.1% per night. Cuttlefish were found to spend more than 95% of the day resting, which suggests that their bioenergetics are more akin to those of octopus than of squid. The cuttlefish combination of predator avoidance, efficient foraging and quiescent lifestyle allows energy to be channelled into growth and fulfillment of the live-fast-die-young cephalopod philosophy.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	77-91
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology
Volume	320
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2004.12.040
Publication status	Published - Jun 15 2005

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Thanks and appreciation to Dr. Yanko Andrade for data analysis and programming. Thanks also to Dr. Rebecca Leaper, Mr. Kiwi White, Dave, Ben and Reno for assistance in Port Lincoln. Much appreciation to the SARDI tuna gentlemen and Mark Thomas of the Lincoln Marine Science Centre, Port Lincoln, Australia. This work was largely supported by an Australian Research Council Large grant (#A19933032) awarded to G.D. Jackson and R.K. O'Dor. [SS]

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Aquatic Science

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10.1016/j.jembe.2004.12.040

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The secret life of the giant Australian cuttlefish Sepia apama (Cephalopoda): Behaviour and energetics in nature revealed through radio acoustic positioning and telemetry (RAPT). / Aitken, J. P.; O'Dor, R. K.; Jackson, G. D.
In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 320, No. 1, 15.06.2005, p. 77-91.

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

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abstract = "Sepia apama were tagged with acoustic transmitters and monitored on their native House Reef, Boston Bay, South Australia, with a radio acoustic positioning telemetry (RAPT) system. Cuttlefish were tagged with position-only and intra-mantle jet pressure transmitters. New data analyses were developed to handle problem data that arise with an uneven reef environment. Maximum range for the cuttlefish varied from 90 m to 550 m. Cuttlefish home range was between 5300 m2 and 23,700 m2. S. apama were found to be diurnal as average distance travelled was higher in the day than at night, and cuttlefish were active for 32 days, but only 18 nights. After the cuttlefish settled into reef crevices, activity spectrum and positioning analysis showed foraging behaviour at only 3.7% per day and 2.1% per night. Cuttlefish were found to spend more than 95% of the day resting, which suggests that their bioenergetics are more akin to those of octopus than of squid. The cuttlefish combination of predator avoidance, efficient foraging and quiescent lifestyle allows energy to be channelled into growth and fulfillment of the live-fast-die-young cephalopod philosophy.",

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The secret life of the giant Australian cuttlefish Sepia apama (Cephalopoda): Behaviour and energetics in nature revealed through radio acoustic positioning and telemetry (RAPT)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

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