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First published online March 2, 2006
Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 1101-1111 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02116

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The ventilatory, cardiac and behavioural responses of resting cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis L.) to sudden visual stimuli

Alison J. King^1, and Shelley A. Adamo²

¹ Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
² Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

View larger version (124K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. An example of the Deimatic Display seen in our experiments. This animal showed behavioural freezing, paired Mantle spots (that look like eyes), dark elements on the fins, Smooth mantle, Mantle widening and Arm spreading. It did not show pronounced Mantle paling. Fig. 2A shows the same cuttlefish at rest.

View larger version (53K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. The parameters measured to quantify posture. (A) The width of the mantle was measured along line a, the width of the arms along line b. (B) Schematics of the cross-sectional view through plane 1 in A (sonogram of collar flaps). The left hand schematic represents an animal at rest, the right, an animal during the alternate response. The dorso-ventral height of the anterior mantle was measured along line c. The area of the anterior mantle cavity (water space) was stippled area d. (C) Schematics of the cross-sectional view through plane 2 in A (sonogram of the ventricle). As in B, the left hand schematic represents an animal at rest, the right, an animal during the alternate response. The dorso-ventral height of the mid-mantle was measured along line e. The area of the mid-mantle cavity was stippled area (f). avc, anterior vena cava; cf, collar flap; fu, funnel; m, mantle; all grey areas represent viscera; all white areas represent fluid-filled spaces.

View larger version (13K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. (A) The median behaviour scores (±1st and 3rd quartiles) during the 2-h acclimatization period over all cuttlefish (N=6). A score of 1 indicates resting cuttlefish. (B) Median difference between subsequent estimations of ventilation rate (±1st and 3rd quartiles) during the 2 h acclimatization period. A score of 0 indicates no change between readings; a negative score indicates falling rates (N=6). (C) Same as B, but for heart rate (N=6).

View larger version (24K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Representative examples of the ventilatory (A) and cardiac (B) reactions to startling stimuli. The stimulus was presented at time 0. Vertical lines delineate resting behaviours and reaction stages 1–3. Broken lines delimit the maximum and minimum rates before the stimulus. Circles emphasize maximum and minimum rates after the stimulus. (A) Cuttlefish #12: decrease in ventilation rate: 78.9% (Video 2 in supplementary material). (B) Cuttlefish #22: decrease in heart rate: 28.3%.

View larger version (12K): [in a new window]   Fig. 5. The relationship between the % decrease in heart rate (HR) and % hyperinflation. Each point represents the averaged data of one animal. Open symbols indicate animals that missed reaction stages in 50% or more of trials, closed symbols indicate animals that showed all reaction stages in more than 50% of trials. The average chromatic index is represented by the shape of the symbol: circle=1, diamond=2, triangle=3, square=4. The outlying closed circle represents cuttlefish #22, who showed different chromatic (Mantle darkening) and postural responses from the other cuttlefish.