Sepia officinalis genome sequencing and assembly

We sequenced and assembled the genome of the European common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, to provide a molecular basis for studying cuttlefish brain complexity and camouflage behavior. Many coleoid cephalopods (octopus, squid, and cuttlefish) camouflage, evading predators and surprising prey by matching their appearance to their surroundings. This behavior requires animals to observe their environment, process texture information, and reproduce a matching texture on their skin. Not only is this behavior a remarkable feat of visual perception, but the lineages giving rise to cephalopods and vertebrates diverged very early during animal evolution, providing a fascinating opportunity to study the convergent evolution of sensory computations. While the brain areas involved in camouflage have been coarsely mapped, the cell types underlying the behavior remain largely unknown.