SEPIA, the CUTTLE-FISH, a genus belonging to the order of vermes mollusca. There are eight brachia interspersed on the interior side, with little round serrated cups, by the contraction of which the animal lays fast hold of any thing. Besides these eight arms, it has two tentacula longer than the arms, and frequently pedunculated. The mouth is situated in the centre of the arms, and is horny and hooked, like the bill of a hawk. The eyes are below the tentacula, towards the body of the animal. The body is fleshy, and received into a sheath as far as the breast. There are five species. See Plate CCLXII.
1. The loligo, or great cuttle, with short arms and long tentacula; the lower part of the body rhomboid and pinnated, the upper thick and cylindric. Inhabit all our seas: are gregarious; swift in their motions: take their prey by means of their arms; and embracing it, bring it to their central mouth. Adhere
to the rocks, when they wish to be quiescent, by means of the concave discs that are placed along their arms.
2. The octopodia, with eight arms, connected at their bottom by a membrane. This is the polypus of Pliny, which he distinguishes from the loligo and sepia by the want of tentacula. Inhabits our seas. In hot climates these are found of an enormous size. The Indians affirm, that some have been seen two fathoms broad over their centre, and each arm nine fathoms long. When the Indians navigate their little boats, they go in dread of them; and lest these animals should sing their arms over and sink them, they never sail without an ax to cut them off.
3. The media, or middle cuttle, with a long, slender, cylindric body; tail finned, pointed, and carinated on each side; two long tentacula; the body almost transparent, green, but convertible into a dirty brown; confirming the remark of Pliny †, that they change their colour through fear, adapting it, chameleon-like, to that of the place they are in. The eyes are large and smaragdine.
4. The sepiola, or small cuttle, with a short body, rounded at the bottom; a round fin on each side; two tentacula. Taken off Flintshire.
5. The officinalis, or officinal cuttle, with an ovated body; fins along the whole of the sides, and almost meeting at the bottom; two long tentacula; the body contains the bone, the cuttle-bone of the shops, which was formerly used as an absorbent. The bones are frequently hung on all our shores; the animal very rarely. This emits, (in common with the other species) when frightened or pursued, the black liquor which the ancients supposed darkened the circumambient wave, and concealed it from the enemy.
Th' endanger'd cuttle thus evades his fears,
And native hoards of fluid safety bears.
A pitchy ink peculiar glands supply,
Whose shades the sharpest beam of light defy.
Pursu'd, he bids the fable fountains flow,
And, wrapt in clouds, eludes th'impending foe.
The fish retreats unseen, while self-born night,
With pious shade befriends her parent's flight.
The ancients sometimes made use of it instead of ink. Perius mentions the species in his description of the noble student.
Jam liber, et biesolor positis membrana capillis,
Inque manus charta, nedusque venit armudo.
Tunc querimus, cressus calamo quod pendeat humer;
Nigra quod infusa venescat sepia lympho.
At length, his book he spreads, his pen he takes;
His papers here in learned order lays,
And there this parchment's smoother side displays.
But oh! what crosses wait on studious men!
The cuttle's juice hangs clotted at our pen.
In all my life such stuff I never knew,
So gummy thick—Dilute it, it will do.
Nay, now 'tis water! DRYDEN.
This animal was esteemed a delicacy by the ancients, and is eaten even at present by the Italians. Rondeletius gives us two receipts for the dressing, which may be continued to this day. Athenæus also leaves us the method of making an antique cuttle-fish sausage; and we learn from Aristotle, that those animals are in highest season when pregnant.