A find on the beach

The shells or shields on the back of the various species of cuttlefish Sepia spec. consist of brittle lime (sometimes also referred to as Sea Foam) and are softer on one side than on the other. There is gas between the layers of lime, so that they float and often wash up on the beach.

Cuttlefish are good swimmers who can cover large distances. Sometimes animals wash ashore on the coast, but more often loose back shields. They have good buoyancy and can wash up on the beach at a great distance from the place where the animal died.

The back shields of the different types of cuttlefish can wash up all year round. However, the vast majority washes up in the summer and autumn.

The sepia shields contain an enormous amount of minerals that are stored by the animal. This makes the sepia shield an ideal source of minerals for birds which are kept at home. In addition, the bird can also sharpen his or her beak well on a sepia shield. By gnawing at it, the beak remains sharp enough and also wears well. Because of this it is prevented that a beak grows too far in e.g. parakeets, which is very annoying for the bird.

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