CUTTLE-FISH or Squid, the Wu-taih-yu and Meh-yu of the Chinese. The cuttle- fish inhabit all the great oceans, and abound in the warmer latitudes. They feed on crabs, squills, and molluscs, breaking down the carapace or shells of these animals with their beak-like jaws, and their strong muscular stomach completes the comminu tion. In 1882 one was stranded at Cook's Strait 7i feet long, 9 feet 2 inches circumference, its head feet in diameter ; its longest arnis measured 25 feet, the smaller ones 12 feet lona. The economic products are a deep pigment, known as Roman sepia, which in the cuttle-fish is contained in a bladder at the bottom of the abdominal sac ; also the cuttle-fish sepium, or shell, or bone, called by the French Biscuit de mer.- The cuttle-fish is particularly abundant on the coasts of China, and are there much used as food, as also are species of Octopus, Haliotis, Turbo, Hiphopus, Tridaeua.
Adams says some monodonta taste quite peppery.
Cuttle-Fish Bone.
Hai-piau-siu, . . CHIN. Samudrapu nurugu, TEL. Darya ka kaf, . . HIND. Sorupenka, . . „ Kaddalnoray, . . TAM.
In Sepia officinalis, the soft parts are supported by a firm calcareous bone, the cuttle-fish bone of the shops ; and in all the naked cephalopods (not including Ocythoe) now existing, some rudiment at least of a bony, horny, or cartilaginous support is to be found. Cuttle-fish bone is found on all the coasts, aud is used for rubbin,g down paint, etc., by the painters ; also for the purpose of cleaning and polishing the surface of silver and other metals. The Chinese formerly en,graved these bones, or inlaid them as ornaments.—Smith ; Eng. Cyc.; Rohde's MSS.; Ains.