Photo: Jenny (JennyHuang) from Taipei · Image source ·CC BY 2.0
Animal profile · Mollusks · cuttlefish
Flamboyant cuttlefish
Metasepia pfefferi
The flamboyant cuttlefish is a small tropical cephalopod that walks across the seafloor on its arms. Its vivid warning colors appear when it is disturbed.
Not a fish · an aquatic neighborWater
Saltwater
Shallow sandy and muddy seafloors near tropical reefs.
Temperature
Range not established
A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not found; values are left unreported.
Size
Females can reach about 8 cm (3.1 in) mantle length; males are smaller
About the length of a small cookie
Lifespan
Not established in the wild
Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.
01 · Signature adaptation
What does it do?
It is active by day and often walks rather than swims. When threatened, it displays bright colors that advertise its toxicity.
02 · Home coordinates
Where does it live?
Tropical Indo-Pacific waters from Southeast Asia to northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Regions: Indonesia · Malaysia · Papua New Guinea · northern Australia
03 · The menu
What does it eat?
It hunts small animals on the seafloor and seizes them with its tentacles.
carnivore: small crustaceans, small fish.
04 · Remember this
Two wow facts
Colorful warning
It is considered poisonous, and its bright display may warn predators to stay away.
Sources [1] [2]
Arm-powered walking
Unlike many cephalopods, it commonly travels by walking across sand and mud on its arms.
Sources [1]