Cuttlefish Batteries

Hi Sea Fans!

Visiting all these different aquariums and marine facilities makes me appreciate the animals more and more.  One little animal that I've always loved and been fascinated with is the cuttlefish.

Photo: Nick Hobgood

This little guy is not only the beautiful cousin of the octopus, a colour-changing genius and a super swimmer, but it may also be the answer to many a medical problem.  Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have made an interesting discovery: cuttlefish ink can power tiny electric devices that could be swallowed or implanted in the body!  NO WAY!!!  How cool!!!

Normal batteries can be toxic (poisonous/harmful), but because the cuttlefish batteries use the animal's ink and manganese oxide (also non-toxic), it makes these animal batteries a lot safer for us to use...especially if we have to swallow something like a battery-operated pill that will act as a camera inside our bodies to check things out!

Cuttles are super duper little creatures if you ask me!  Just another way in which Nature shows us the way…

Have a great weekend Sea Fans!

Cheers

Abby

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