Template:POTD/2023-12-16
,_Parque_natural_de_la_Arr%C3%A1bida,_Portugal,_2020-07-21,_DD_62.jpg)
The common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is one of the largest and best-known cuttlefish species. It is native to the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea, with some subspecies proposed in South Africa. It lives on sand and mud seabeds and can tolerate brackish water. The common cuttlefish is a migratory species, spending the summer and spring inshore for spawning and then moving to depths of 100 to 200 metres (330 to 660 ft) during autumn and winter. It has a mantle of up to 49 centimetres (19 in), with a mass of 4 kilograms (8.8 lb). Cuttlefish have strong camouflaging abilities, enabled by a variety of specialized cells: pigmented chromatophore organs, light-scattering leucophores, and structurally reflecting iridophores in their skin. This common cuttlefish was photographed in Arrábida Natural Park, Portugal.Photograph credit: Diego Delso