This is the first part of a four part article on the common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis . This article will cover what a cuttlefish is and what it is related to. Part two explains how to go about purchasing one. Part three will cover tank size, filtration, lighting, tankmates, feeding and other aspects of setting up a tank to keep cuttlefish. The final part of this article, part four, will describe the reproductive biology of cuttlefish and tips for rearing hatchlings.
Hobbyists invariably regard cephalopods as extremely difficult to keep.
Most of the problems that aquarists have or think they have when keeping cephalopods are ultimately caused by bad information or a lack of information. Although cephalopods are active and intelligent, they are very different from mammals and fish in their biology and especially their life history. However, with knowledge and preparation, many species of octopuses and cuttlefish can be successfully kept and bred in captivity. In fact, some of the more common species have been reared for 5 or more generations in the lab. Most relatives of cephalopods, are, well, a bit slow.