Cuttlefish on the Eastern Seaboard

JohnW

Pygmy Octopus
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Howdy all, my daughter recently caught a wild cuttlefish in the tidal pools at Myrtle Beach, SC. (I have 3 poor pictures). My research, so far, showed that there were only 2 types - one in England and one off Hawaii. Are there native east coast species, and, if so, what are they?
 
JohnW;99959 said:
Howdy all, my daughter recently caught a wild cuttlefish in the tidal pools at Myrtle Beach, SC. (I have 3 poor pictures). My research, so far, showed that there were only 2 types - one in England and one off Hawaii. Are there native east coast species, and, if so, what are they?

Actually, although there are lots of cuttle species, there aren't any that are native to either coast of the U.S. or Hawaii... could it be a bobtail squid of some sort? Or maybe someone abandoned a pet?

I'm looking forward to the pictures...

oh, and :welcome: to TONMO!
 
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cuttlefish

Definitely a cuttlefish. Not being snide or anything. Short tenacles, barreled rear body with outside fin all the way around. It was aprox. 3 inches long and it was opaque, except for the spots. It inked in the small container my daughter caught it in. We let it go 20 minutes later. I knew you would ask for the pictures. My laptop is being fixed and it will be available soon and I will post them then. you can see the outlines ands spots easy, as well as the eyes.
 
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It appeared to be hunting in the tidal pools. I looked at the bobtail and this wasnt the same. My daughter was trying to catch the fish it was after when she caught the cuttlefish. It went opaque after that.
 
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Did it look like this:
JBW-Bon9.JPG

Cb0514.jpg


From Sepioteuthis sepioidea, Caribbean Reef squid - The Cephalopod Page :

Sepioteuthis sepioidea, the Caribbean Reef squid, is commonly observed in shallow near shore water of the Caribbean by divers and snorkelers. These squid are often confused with cuttlefish because their large fins wrap around their mantles. They are also broader than many squid and these traits make them look like cuttlefish (Sepia). Actually, if you look at their scientific name you will see that scientists also noticed that these guys look like cuttlefish—the "Sepio" which is in the genus and specific name refers to the fact that they look like cuttlefish while the "teuthis" tells one that they really are a squid. For the record, there are no true cuttlefish (Order Sepiida) off of North America although there are some Sepiolids.

With species showing up further and further north each year, this one seems like a good candidate for the animal you found. I would be very surprised if the animal you found was indeed a cuttlefish, but stranger things have happened.
 
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Wow this is very interesting if it really is a cuttlefish. I'll go with the abandoned pet theory if it is one, but most likely its a squid. People mix them up all the time.
 
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Cool, but I dont believe so. I see the similarities but this squid is more substantial than the creature we captured. It may be that we caught a juvenile or someones pet as well. Endless possibilities.
 
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thanks for the pix!

I tend to think Thales is on the right track, and it looks like Sepioteuthis. I used to get those mixed up with cuttlefish a lot, too (and the Latin name pretty much means "squid that looks like a cuttlefish) but they're a bit more streamlined, and their fins are not quite the same shape as a cuttle's skirt, and tend to be thicker.
 
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cuttlegirl;100250 said:
How big was the creature? It looks like a juvenile to me... maybe Loligo.

I was thinking Loligo at first, but the fins seem too big, for an adult at least. Do the juveniles have disproportionately bigger fins?
 
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