Unknown
Centre de Publications
In:
In: La seiche - The cuttlefish. Centre de Publications, Caen, pp. 69-78.
Publication Date:
2017-01-27
Description:
Gross buoyancy adjustment in Sepia is achieved during growth by the combined effect of 1) the addition o f gas-ßlled spaces to the «chambered» inner shell (cuttlebone), and 2) the addition o f tissues heavier than sea water. Healthy animals always show slightly negative to near-neutral buoyancy. Although the cuttlebone is surrounded by tissue, it can be damaged by would-bepredators (including
man), by compressionfailure at the criticalhydrostaticpressure (maximum tolerable
depth), and by other factors. Various observations show that a partly broken shell
may be more or less completely repaired, essentially by extensive secretion of organic
material "pasting" the fragments to one another and to intact parts o f the shell.
Buoyancy control is maintained or restored in surviving animals. Thus the extern of shellfracture and repair is recognizable only post mortem. Clearly the cuttlebone System can cope with severe injury in a way comparable to shell repair in Nautilus.
Type:
Book chapter
,
PeerReviewed
Format:
text
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