Unit 2 ¢ Animais Cunning Cuttlefish Cuttlefish are unusual animals. For starters, their blood is blue-green and they have three hearts. = a Their eyes are shaped like Ws. They have eight arms and two tentacles that spring from their head. The cuttlefish name is misleading. A cuttlefish is a ——— nota fish at all. It is a mollusk. Think snail, slug, or clam. Millions of years ago, the cuttlefish had a hard shell, which provided protection from predators. But ___ the cuttlefish has evolved into a soft-bodied animal Today it has other ways to stay safe. 42 Accessing Complex Texts Now! + Grade 4 « ©2014 Benchmark Education Company, LLCunit 2 © Animals Cunning Cuttlefish A hooded cuttlefish swims along a coral reef at night. 5 Cuttlefish are the chameleons of the sea. They — poe frequently and rapidly change their appearance to throw off enemies. Cuttlefish can change their skin color within seconds. It can change from black to brown to yellow. It can look spotted. It can also look striped. Cuttlefish can even change the texture — of their skin. It can go from smooth to rough. «Cuttlefish have millions of special color cells in their skin that allow them to appear in so many different patterns and colors. Scientists who have studied cuttlefish are amazed by their ability to match their surroundings. In one experiment, — — scientists placed cuttlefish in front of different backgrounds. They discovered that even small changes to the background would lead to changes in the color and pattern of the cuttlefish’s skin. (©2014 Benchmark Education Company, LLC + Grade 4 » Accessing Complex Texts Now! 43Unit 2 ¢ Animais The cuttlefish’s skin helps it hide from predators. It also helps the cuttlefish hunt. When the prey gets close, the cuttlefish quickly snatches it. The cuttlefish’s changing skin has other advantages as well. Large male cuttlefish change colors to attract females. But the smaller male cuttlefish change their colors to look like females. This lets them get closer to the female cuttlefish without being challenged by the bigger male cuttlefish. There are more than 120 species of cuttlefish known. They can live in both shallow reefs and in deep ocean waters. Their changing skin is not the only interesting thing about cuttlefish. These strange creatures are also considered one of the smartest animals of the sea. What makes them so brainy? According to marine biologist Jean Boal, cuttlefish can think and solve problems. Researchers created a maze to test the cuttlefish. And the cuttlefish were able to figure out the maze and get faster, too. Scientists have also found that they are capable of REM (rapid eye movement) during sleep. That means that these creatures dream. Scientists used to believe that only vertebrates could dream. Scientists hope to learn more about intelligence in all animals by studying intelligence in cuttlefish. Boal has spent almost twenty-five years studying these creatures. “The cuttlefish might seem alien to us, but [they] could tell us more about ourselves than we realize,” she says. Accessing Complex Texts Now! « Grade 4 + ©2014 Benchmark Education Company, LLCCunning Cuttlefish A Special Ink Notes Cuttlefish, like squid and octopus, can squirt out ink. The ink makes the water cloudy and gives the cuttlefish time to escape from a predator. Humans have long used this brown ink in art products. The color name “sepia” comes from the cuttlefish species name, Sepia officinalis. More recently, scientists have been experimenting with new uses for the ink. They have created a new os — battery that uses cuttlefish ink.Cunning Cuttlefish Unit 2 ¢ Animals Close Reading and Collaborative Conversations What Does the Text Say? fe How ‘Does the Text Work? 1. What is the main idea in this passage? Turn to a partner and | summarize “Cunning Cuttlefish.” 2. What are two ways that the cuttlefish’s ability to match its surroundings is helpful to it? 3. Reread paragraphs 8 and 9. What does Jean Boal say about. cuttlefish? 46 4. Why do you think the author put the information in “A Special Ink” into a sidebar? . Reread paragraph 2. Why does the author explain that “a cuttlefish is not a fish at all”? . Reread paragraphs 8 and 9. Why does the author include the scientist Jean Boal in the passage? » Accessing Complex Texts Now! « Grade 4 « ©2014 Benchmark Education Company, LLCUnit 2 ¢ Animals Cunning Cuttlefish What Does the Text Mean? Dersisec) The passage is titled “Cunning Cuttlefish.” Where does the author show evidence of the cuttlefish’s “cunning”? 2. The author calls cuttlefish “chameleons of the sea.” What does this mean? What evidence is used to support the idea? | 3. The author states that cuttlefish are “unusual animals.” What evidence does the author use to support this idea? ©2014 Benchmark Education Company, LLC + Grade 4 + Accessing Complex Texts Now! 47unit 2 © Animals Cunning Cuttlefish fl Wrap Up Check Your Understanding 1. Which of the following best explains the meaning of alien as it is used in paragraph 9? A. from outer space B. strange and unusual C. from another country D. frightening 2. This question has two parts. Answer Part A first, then answer Part B. Part A What does sepia have to do with cuttlefish? A. Sepia is what cuttlefish eat. B. Sepia is another type of mollusk. C. Sepia is ink that cuttlefish use on predators. D. Sepia is the name of cuttlefish’s shells. Part B Where is this information found in the passage? A. in the title B, in paragraph 4 C. in the sidebar D. in a caption ©2014 Benchmark Education Company, LLC + Grade 4 « Accessing Complex Texts Now! 49