British scientists have become the first in the world to learn more about cuttlefish – by fitting them with electronic tag.
Marine experts have fitted 100 of the enigmatic molluscs with the high tech tracking equipment to study how they live.
The expensive devices have been designed to unlock the ”secretive lives” of the common cuttlefish.
They can be found throughout the English Channel – but are extremely difficult to study in the wild.
In particular, little is known about their migration in the autumn.
The creatures are famous for colour-changing skin and are known as “kings of camouflage”.
A group of 100 of the animals have been fitted with tags by scientists from the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth, Devon.
The data devices will also help researchers assess the impact that the fishing industry is having on them.
A spokesman for the association said: “This is the first time common cuttlefish have been tagged in the wild.
“The pressures on the creatures have increased due to increased fishing from Britain and France.
“We need to see where they live and where they spawn.”
