Visual contrast modulates maturation of camouflage body patterning in cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis)

Camouflage is the primary defense behavior in cephalopods. It is known that cuttlefish immediately after hatching are capable of showing various body patterns for concealing themselves, however recent studies suggest that maturation of camouflage body patterns is faster for cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) reared in enriched environments than those reared in impoverished environments. Since camouflage patterning in cephalopods is predominately visually driven, this study specifically investigates effects of the rearing background contrast on the maturation of body patterns in cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis). Newly hatched animals were separated into two cohorts, one reared in a uniform-gray background (low-contrast, or L group) and the other raised in a black/white checkerboard background (high-contrast, or H group). At Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, cuttlefish were placed individually either on uniform or checkerboard substrates to examine their body patterns. Animals from both L and H groups appear to show moderate disruptive patterns on the checkerboard and less disruptive on the uniform background at Week 2. Throughout development, however, cuttlefish from the H group showed stronger disruptive patterns than that of the L group on the checkerboard background at Weeks 10 and 12. In interesting findings, cuttlefish from both L and H groups showed similar strength but different disruptive components on the uniform background in later postembryonic stages. These results suggest that the maturation of camouflage body patterns in S. pharaonis is at least in part affected by visual contrast of their rearing backgrounds, although environmental complexity or social interaction is also likely to be involved in this process. This also implies that early visual experience could exert its effect on the seemingly preprogrammed behaviors such as camouflage body patterning in cephalopods.