Cuttlefish on the Eastern Seaboard

[JohnW]

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?

 

[monty]

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 to TONMO!

 

[Paradox]

Most likely not a cuttlefish, but wed love to see the pictures!

 

[JohnW]

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.

 

[JohnW]

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.

 

[Paradox]

Very unusual! As monty mentioned, there are no local species in US waters. Perhaps an abandoned pet? Now im more interested in the pics!

 

[Animal Mother]

Wow. That's quite a find.

I wonder what kind of ecological imbalance some spawning cuttlefish would create in US waters.

 

[Thales]

Did it look like this:

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.

 

[Emily182]

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.

 

[JohnW]

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.

 

[JohnW]

I warn all that the pics are poor quality....

 

[Animal Mother]

Looks like a squid best I can tell.

 

[monty]

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.

 

[cuttlegirl]

How big was the creature? It looks like a juvenile to me... maybe Loligo.

 

[monty]

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?