Specieswatch: cuttlefish – clever, colourful and now at risk

Creatures are intelligent and patient but have been declared an endangered species along south coast

Most of us are familiar with the remains of cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, large chalky internal shells that are washed up on beaches and sold in pet shops as a source of calcium for birds.

This relative of the squid and octopus thrives in the seas around Britain and is caught in large numbers for our continental neighbours who regard them as a culinary delicacy. Europeans also use their ink as a colouring agent in food, ink and paint.