The mesocrystalline assembly of the aragonitic material in the bone of Sepia officinalis

Kurzfassung

Cuttlefish (Sepiidae, Nautilidae, Spirulidae) are the only cephalopods that incorporate a chambered endo-skeleton into their body tissue. The skeleton has a dual function: it is used for skeletal support and as a buoyancy regulation device. Thus cuttlefish bone needs to have extraordinary material properties, that is, in this case again, accomplished by an interplay of architectural design, an elaborate microstructure and the composite (organic-inorganic) nature of the material. We demonstrate the material architecture by means of SEM and TEM investigations.