No evidence for object play in the dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis

Cephalopods are marine invertebrates renowned for their complex brains and behaviors, and are widely used in studies of learning, memory, visual processing and motor control. Their dynamic skin coloration and high activity levels also make them appealing in educational and display settings. Despite large numbers of cephalopods used and bred for research and education worldwide, our understanding of welfare and husbandry needs remain rudimentary. Whilst a few studies have focused on enrichment for octopuses, there have been no similar controlled studies for cuttlefish. Here, we examine if a commonly used enrichment for octopuses - provision of play objects - provides welfare enhancements for captive-bred dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis . Over the course of several weeks, cuttlefish housed in either enriched or impoverished conditions were exposed to four types of potential play objects, each providing different sensory stimulation and potential for interaction. Cuttlefish were recorded in their home tanks in the presence and absence of each object (or group of objects), and interactions, affiliations and temporal patterns of behavior were analyzed to quantify potential play behavior. Although we observed some evidence for affiliation with objects in the impoverished condition, we found no evidence for affiliation in the enriched housing group, and no evidence in either group for interactive play behavior with any of the objects provided. Thus we conclude that cuttlefish are unlikely to engage in object play, further highlighting their distinct behavioral repertoire as compared to octopuses, and thus will likely not derive welfare benefits from provision of play objects if housed appropriately. • Cuttlefish show no evidence of object play behavior • Neither stress nor control conditions elicited interactions with novel objects • Cuttlefish are unlikely to derive welfare benefits from novel objects • Cuttlefish have different enrichment needs than octopuses, where most study has focused.