A fully updated overview of the causation, function, development and evolution of cephalopod behaviour, richly illustrated in full colour.

A comprehensive 1996 account of the complex behaviour of cephalopods in the sea and the laboratory.

Focusing on comparative cognition in cephalopods, this book illuminates the wide range of mental function in this often overlooked group.

between the organ systems of cephalopods and those of less ambitious molluscs. Octopus does, as we would predict, live close to the limits set by its own physiology. The circulation, to take one example, is barely adequate for such an active animal, mainly because of the absence of any system for pack aging the blood pigment; haemocyanin in solution is a poor oxygen carrier. Cephalopod blood can transport less than 5 millilitres of oxygen per 100 ml of blood (compared with about 15 vol% in fish) and the whole supercharged system of triple hearts, high blood pressure and pulsating blood vessels succeeds only in returning blood that retains less than 30% of its dissolved oxygen by the time it reaches the gills. This at rest; the effect of exercise is immediate and surprisingly long lasting even in octopuses as small as 300 g, which must very swiftly run into oxygen debt when they flee from predators or pursue their prey (Sections 3.2.2, 3.2.4). Digestion, too would seem to be limiting. As with other molluscs, digestion in Octopus is based on secretion absorption cycles by a massive diverticulum of the gut, an adequate system in a less hectic past, but scarcely appropriate in a predator that must be an opportunist in the matter of feeding. Octopus feeds mainly at night, and spends a great deal of every day sitting at home.

Australian waters contain the highest diversity of cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish and octopus) found anywhere in the world. They are highly significant ecologically, both as top-level predators and as prey for numerous vertebrates, including fishes, seals, cetaceans and seabirds. Cephalopods of Australia and Sub-Antarctic Territories is a comprehensive guide covering 226 species, which represent over a quarter of the world’s cephalopod fauna. With an emphasis on identification, this book includes keys, species descriptions, full-colour illustrations and distribution maps, as well as a summary of the biology and behaviour of cephalopods and fisheries information. This is an invaluable tool for researchers and fisheries experts as well as amateur naturalists, fishers and divers.

Cephalopod Culture is the first compilation of research on the culture of cephalopods. It describes experiences of culturing different groups of cephalopods: nautiluses, sepioids (Sepia officinalis, Sepia pharaonis, Sepiella inermis, Sepiella japonica Euprymna hyllebergi, Euprymna tasmanica), squids (Loligo vulgaris, Doryteuthis opalescens, Sepioteuthis lessoniana) and octopods (Amphioctopus aegina, Enteroctopus megalocyathus, Octopus maya, Octopus mimus, Octopus minor, Octopus vulgaris, Robsonella fontaniana). It also includes the main conclusions which have been drawn from the research and the future challenges in this field. This makes this book not only an ideal introduction to cephalopod culture, but also a valuable resource for those already involved in this topic.

"Cephalopods are often misunderstood creatures. Three biologists set the record straight."—Science News Largely shell-less relatives of clams and snails, the marine mollusks in the class Cephalopoda—Greek for “head-foot”—are colorful creatures of many-armed dexterity, often inky self-defense, and highly evolved cognition. They are capable of learning, of retaining information—and of rapid decision-making to avoid predators and find prey. They have eyes and senses rivaling those of vertebrates like birds and fishes, they morph texture and body shape, and they change color faster than a chameleon. In short, they captivate us. From the long-armed mimic octopus—able to imitate the appearance of swimming flounders and soles—to the aptly named flamboyant cuttlefish, whose undulating waves of color rival the graphic displays of any LCD screen, there are more than seven hundred species of cephalopod. Featuring a selection of species profiles, Octopus, Squid, and Cuttlefish reveals the evolution, anatomy, life history, behaviors, and relationships of these spellbinding animals. Their existence proves that intelligence can develop in very different ways: not only are cephalopods unusually large-brained invertebrates, they also carry two-thirds of their neurons in their arms. A treasure trove of scientific fact and visual explanation, this worldwide illustrated guide to cephalopods offers a comprehensive review of these fascinating and mysterious underwater invertebrates—from the lone hunting of the octopus, to the social squid, and the prismatic skin signaling of the cuttlefish.