William Cole, the Club's Honorary Secretary and Curator was evidently claiming title
to North Sea specimens of cuttlefish and other marine creatures for Essex. William
Whitaker (Essex Naturalist Vol. 13 (1903) p. 37) humorously "congratulated the Club
on having annexed the North Sea". Cole replied that "he proposed to take as Essex
specimens those found in the North sea up to a line drawn midway between Essex and
the Continent, and this would include the Dogger Bank."
Recently Watts & Skinner (Watts & Skinner 2004 p. 6) have interestingly stated that one
of the largest eelgrass beds in the British Isles lies south east of Two Tree Island near
Southend-on-Sea. This eelgrass provides food and shelter to a number of marine species
including the common cuttlefish.
Two photographs were taken of this unusual specimen. It was left on the beach where
we found it. No doubt it will soon decompose, its bleached white cuttle-bone will be
exposed to the elements and it may possibly be picked up and find its way into a budgie's
cage or onto a silversmith' s work bench.
References
Watts, L.E. & Skinner, J. F. 2004. Sea Life of the Essex Coast. Southend Museums
Handbook No. 23. ISBN 0 900690 57 7. 41 pages £3.50.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations has an excellent
Fisheries Global Information System (FIGIS) site on the Internet. This has an
excellent fact sheet for the common cuttlefish. This details diagnostic features,
geographical distribution, with map, habitat & biology, size and information of
interest to fisheries. For example 14,000 tons of cuttlefish are annually caught for
food. Nearly 13,000 tons are landed in Italy alone. Spain has 12 common names
for the cuttlefish, while Italy has eleven. In the UK we just have one! This site also
includes a bibliography for those who require further information on this
fascinating primeval Cephalopod.
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Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 45, September 2004