Cuttlefish or squid?
How to tell them apart
Cuttlefish, squid and octopuses are cephalopods; the cuttlefish has an internal cuttlebone.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, awake when.
| Question | Cuttlefish | Squid |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mollusc | Mollusc |
| Carnivore? | Yes | Yes |
| Dangerous? differs | No | Can be |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Day & night | Night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | Yes | Yes |
At a glance
| Question | Cuttlefish | Squid |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | Oceans | Oceans |
| Habitat | Open ocean, Coast | Open ocean, Coast |
| Size differs | Small | Medium |
| Length differs | Usually 15–25 cm; up to 50 cm (giant cuttlefish) | – |
| Legs differs | None | 10 |
| Covered in | Skin | Skin |
| Lives differs | Alone | In groups |
| Lives for differs | 1–2 years | 1–5 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | Yes | Yes |
About each
Cuttlefish
Marine cephalopods with W-shaped pupils, eight arms and two tentacles, and an internal shell, the cuttlebone, that controls buoyancy. They change colour, pattern and skin shape to hide and to signal.
Everything on the cuttlefish page
Squid
Fast-swimming molluscs with large eyes, eight arms and two long tentacles. Many move by jet propulsion, hunt by sight, and can squirt ink to confuse predators.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.