Hobbies And Interests
Mollusks
There are over 200 types of cuttlefish found in all of the oceans except around the coast of the Americas and Antarctica. The varied sizes of these individual cephalopods determines what they may consider as prey. Most mollusks are small so they are on the menu of almost all cuttlefish. These include; limpets, conches, snails, clams, oysters, scallops, whelks and a variety of gastropods (one-footed shelled creatures).
Small Reef Fish
The giant Australian cuttlefish spends most of its time in and around the Great Barrier Reef and has developed a taste for small reef fishes. Some of its favorites are clownfish, triggerfish, gobies, blennies, wrasse, cardinal fish, seahorses, damsels and tangs. Open water cuttlefish rarely eat fish due to the size of the fish in the open sea.
Crabs and Shrimp
Cuttlefish are bottom dwellers and as such spend much time foraging for crabs and shrimps. Their sharp beaks can easily pierce even the toughest crab shell. Shrimps are also a mainstay in the cuttlefish diet with particular favorites being the amano and ghost varieties.
Cannibals
Probably the most interesting thing about a cuttlefish's diet is the fact that they are known cannibals. A cuttlefish would just as soon eat one of its own as any other food in the ocean. The camouflage defenses of the cuttlefish may have developed precisely to defend against their own kind.
In the Aquarium
Raising a cuttlefish in an aquarium can be a tough task as they don't take readily to frozen or flake foods. The best choices for pet cuttlefish food are ghost shrimp, hermit crabs and snails.