Head to head
European Squid vs Cuttlefish
European Squid
VS Cuttlefish
The European squid and the cuttlefish are two cephalopods that share the coastal seas of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and both turn up in the same fish markets.
| European Squid | Cuttlefish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Loligo vulgaris | Sepia officinalis |
| Relationship | A cephalopod, with eight arms and two longer tentacles | A cephalopod, with eight arms and two fast tentacles |
| Body | A long, slender, torpedo-shaped body with a pair of triangular fins at the rear, usually 20 to 40 cm long | A broader body with a mantle up to 45 cm and a total length to about 60 cm |
| Buoyancy | Moves by drawing water into the body and squirting it out through a funnel, and steers with its fins | Has a gas-filled internal shell, the cuttlebone, tuned for buoyancy, which often washes up on beaches |
| Skin | Thousands of pigment cells, called chromatophores, which change colour and pattern in an instant | Millions of colour cells over three layers, switched in as little as 100 milliseconds |
| Diet | Small fish, crustaceans, and other squid, seized with its tentacles | Crabs, shrimp, fish, and other molluscs, seized by two fast tentacles |
| Lifespan | Lives for only a few years, dying soon after spawning | Lives for 1 to 2 years, dying soon after breeding |
| Range and status | Least Concern, in the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean from the North Sea to West Africa | Least Concern, in the eastern Atlantic from the North Sea to South Africa and throughout the Mediterranean |
European Squid vs Cuttlefish: common questions
What is a cuttlebone?
It is the gas-filled internal shell of a cuttlefish, tuned for buoyancy, which often washes up on beaches.
Which one swims faster?
The squid, a slender, torpedo-shaped swimmer that moves by jet propulsion and steers with its fins, whereas the cuttlefish is a broader animal that cruises over the seabed.
Do both change colour?
Yes, both have colour cells in their skin that change colour and pattern in an instant, and the cuttlefish can switch them in as little as 100 milliseconds.