Cuuttlefish Has Three Hearts

There is a peculiar animal called Cuttlefish which has three separated hearts. Two of these are placed at the base of the gills and serve to pump impure blood into the gills, where it absorbs oxygen. The blood then passes into the third or central heart which pumps it to various organs. It is interesting to note that it is not a fish but mollusc.

The blood of the cuttlefish is also remarkable for its distinct color. The blood of most of the animals is red owing to the presence of hemoglobin which contains iron. But cuttlefish and other animals of this class contain a compound called haemocyanin. It has copper which makes their blood blue.

A cuttlefish is a soft animal and belongs to the class Cephalopodan. The other animals of this class are octopus and Squid. It is found in most of the seas. It mainly lives in coastal waters. It has a brown body with cross bands and purple spots. It often changes color to match the background.

The body of a cuttlefish is enclosed in a special kind of sac called the mantle. At the front end, the head and the tentacles protrude from the mantle. There are two fins along its edges. It has eight arms and two tentacles. It uses arms to attach itself to objects and to capture food.

Cuttlefish has a peculiar way of protecting itself from enemies. It ejects a black liquid which acts like a smoke screen. This pigment is also used for making ink. It also hides its eggs in this ink.

Common cuttlefish breeds during spring and summer, producing about 100 to 300 eggs. It is used by man as food. Its bones are used to feed canaries and parrots.