Cuttlebone

Description:

A cuttlefish possesses an internal structure called the cuttlebone, which is porous and is made of aragonite. This provides it with buoyancy. When the animal dies, this is the only remaining evidence. I see these often when I walk on the beach in Phillip Island as they are often washed ashore. Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda, which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses.

Habitat:

Washed up on a beach on the bay side of Phillip Island.

Notes:

Most people are familiar with cuttlebone sold in pet shops for birds. Birds love them. Cuttlebone is soft and the birds easily peck them for the calcium. They produce sturdier eggs with the extra calcium.