Imitation Cuttlefish Ink Apothecary Label

Description

Not only do cuttlefish have an adorable name, they’re also pretty awesome. They’re cousins of octopus and squid, but way cuter. On average they’re only 6-10 inches long, and have eight arms and two tentacles for grabbing their prey. They pretty much eat anything smaller than them (crabs, shellfish, smaller cuttlefish, etc.), and are eaten by anything bigger than them (sharks, dolphins, bigger cuttlefish, etc.). They have frilly fins along both sides of their bodies, which is their main source of propulsion, and they look like they’re wearing fluttery tutus as they phoot-phoot along the ocean floor.

The coolest thing about these guys (besides their w-shaped pupils), is how smart they are. They have the biggest brain-to-body-size ratio of all invertebrates, and they can camouflage. They can change color, pattern, and the shape of their skin in order to communicate and to protect themselves from predators. Chameleons have nothing on these guys. Some people even keep them as pets, and they can be trained to change color on command!

Cuttlefish ink was historically used to make sepia dye. And it’s still used today as a sauce for food! In many European cuisines, cuttlefish are cooked with risotto or pasta, and the ink is a key ingredient of the sauce. Maybe it’s delicious, but I can’t even eat calamari without imagining it crawling back up my esophagus, so this probably isn’t the dish for me.

Even more interesting is the research into “smart clothing”. Researchers are studying how to make fabrics that mimic the color changing abilities of cuttlefish skin. Self-camouflaging clothes for sure have military applications, but how cool would it be if they ever made it to the fashion industry? You could wear the same shirt in ten different colors and patterns, without taking up tons of closet space!

All this being said, Imitation Cuttlefish Ink labels would be so cool in an ocean themed apothecary. They would fit right in with mermaid hair, siren song, and sea serpent scales.

As with all our labels, they are available in translucent and opaque sticker options, and we have waterproof and outdoor stickers coming soon!

Available types:

• White border, opaque label (for a classic sticker look)
• Clear border, translucent label (the border is almost invisible, and the label is slightly see-through)

Repositionable: Yes (but the tackiness will be reduced with each repositioning)

Waterproof: No

Care: Clean with a dry cloth and wipe gently from the center outward.