May 7, 2025, 1:09 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Cuttlefish have long fascinated us with their spectacular ability to camouflage, but now they reveal a previously unknown form of communication: arm movements that resemble waving—or even dancing. Cultural and linguistics expert Louisa Stoeffler interprets these communication signals from the animals.
Two species of cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis and Sepia bandensis—the common cuttlefish and the dwarf cuttlefish—apparently send messages to their peers through movements that resemble a wave. These are visible through waving and even perceptible in water through vibrations. Researchers have proven that these signals are not only seen but also perceived and processed as such. The four described arm signals resemble a quick dance. A breakthrough for understanding animal communication underwater.
Why Cuttlefish Wave YMCA Dance Signals
Cuttlefish are considered the “chameleons of the sea”—their ability to camouflage through skin patterns is well documented. But beyond visual adaptation, they also use body postures for communication, such as for deterrence or courtship initiation.
Until now, it was unclear whether arm movements represent an independent form of signaling. Previously, it was observed in other cephalopods and fish that the lateral line organ—a type of vibration sense—can play a role in communication. Since cuttlefish have similar structures, it was suspected that they might also use mechanical signals for communication.
The current study is the first to pursue the hypothesis that certain arm movements could represent visual and mechanosensory communication signals. The fact that the studied cuttlefish species could mimic dances from the disco era, such as to the song “YMCA” by the Village People, is surprising.
Four Different Arm Signals Observed and Recognized
The two cuttlefish species were monitored over several months. Four recognizable “arm wave signals” were identified (“Up,” “Side,” “Roll,” “Crown”). Researchers Sophie Cohen-Bodénès and Peter Neri published their study on May 5, 2025, on “bioRxiv“—the results still need to be confirmed by independent researchers.
The goal was to determine whether stereotypical wave movements have a communication function in cuttlefish. After identifying the signals, the scientists replayed the recordings to the cuttlefish in visual experiments. Once in the correct orientation and once upside down.
In a second experimental setup, the researchers tested whether the animals also respond to water movements created by the arm waves. For this, vibration patterns recorded with hydrophones were played back via underwater speakers.
The researchers used non-invasive visual and mechanosensory experiments—and encountered surprisingly clear reactions from the animals. All experiments were conducted strictly according to animal ethical guidelines, without invasive measures.
Cuttlefish Respond with Further Changes to Waving
The results clearly showed that the cuttlefish responded to the displayed “arm wave signs” with their own wave movements—especially when they saw the signal in the original orientation.
In the visual experiments, Sepia officinalis showed significantly more reactions when displayed upright compared to inverted. This result was also confirmed in Sepia bandensis. Additionally, playback via hydrophone showed a preferred reaction to the original vibration patterns compared to reversed or randomly altered waveforms.
Moreover, the cuttlefish’s response consisted not only of waving but often also of striking skin patterns, eye movements, tentacle expansion, or even ink release—typical behaviors with communication value.
Study Provides Groundbreaking Insights into Underwater Communication
These results demonstrate for the first time that certain arm movement patterns represent multimodal communication signals in cuttlefish. The signals are perceived both through sight and the sensation of water movements. They provide clues to a complex communication system in cephalopods, comparable to audiovisual signals in vertebrates.
Particularly exciting: The involved sensory organs—lateral lines and statocysts—show structural and functional similarities to the hearing organs of fish and other vertebrates. This suggests an example of convergent evolution, where similar functions evolved independently in different animal groups.
Cuttlefish Combined Zebra Pattern with “Up” Waving
Whether the two cuttlefish are particularly fond of dancing or what their communication signals truly mean, the researchers have not yet determined in these experiments. They could be threat gestures, courtship behavior, or warning signals—this is not yet clearly defined.1
PETBOOK also posed this question to Sophie Cohen-Bodénès, who shared her insights: “We noticed that the males often used the ‘up’ sign, which we interpret as a form of competition, although this is still a qualitative observation.”
The researcher also shared a very interesting observation: “Three cuttlefish were observed extensively, and we noticed that the males often used the ‘crowned’ sign, which I interpreted as a form of competition, although this is still a qualitative observation.”
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Could More Sea Creatures “Speak”?
A future investigation could clarify whether the wave signals are also used by other sea creatures, such as predators, prey, or even symbiotic animals. Environmental variables that cuttlefish face in the sea were controlled for in these animals, which were observed extensively.
PETBOOK also asked Sophie Cohen-Bodénès whether the wave signals could be used by other sea creatures, such as predators, prey, or even symbiotic animals. “We noticed that the males often used the ‘crowned’ sign towards each other, which I interpreted as a form of competition, although this is just a qualitative observation,” she told PETBOOK.
But do skin polarizations also play a role in combination with arm-swinging movements? “This would be a great experiment for us to conduct,” Sophie Cohen-Bodénès further told PETBOOK. “We would need to find out, for example, if the light changes depending on the movement of the arms to attract prey, as we have extensively observed them doing with prey and predators (larger shrimp).”
Nevertheless, this research is a milestone in understanding non-vocal communication in marine life. In the future, these insights could help decipher the “language” of cuttlefish.