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

The book describes the brains and sense organs of 57 of the 139 genera of the class Cephalopoda, many in great detail, as well as a variety of morphological features. The text is well-illustrated with fully labelled line drawings and photomicrographs. Attention is drawn to the many gaps in our knowledge of these intriguing marine invertebrates with a view to stimulating future research.

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

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.

Before there were mammals on land, there were dinosaurs. And before there were fish in the sea, there were cephalopods-the ancestors of modern squid and Earth's first truly substantial animals. Cephalopods became the first creatures to rise from the seafloor, essentially inventing the act of swimming. With dozens of tentacles and formidable shells, they presided over an undersea empire for millions of years. But when fish evolved jaws, the ocean's former top predator became its most delicious snack. Cephalopods had to step up their game. Many species streamlined their shells and added defensive spines, but these enhancements only provided a brief advantage. Some cephalopods then abandoned the shell entirely, which opened the gates to a flood of evolutionary innovations: masterful camouflage, fin-supplemented jet propulsion, perhaps even dolphin-like intelligence. Squid Empire is an epic adventure spanning hundreds of millions of years, from the marine life of the primordial ocean to the calamari on tonight's menu. Anyone who enjoys the undersea world-along with all those obsessed with things prehistoric-will be interested in the sometimes enormous, often bizarre creatures that ruled the seas long before the first dinosaurs.