BBC - Science & Nature - Sea Life - Fact files: Flamboyant cuttlefish

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16 July 2009
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Flamboyant cuttlefish
Metasepia pfefferi

These beautiful cuttlefish get their name from the flamboyant pink, yellow and black ripples they make with their bodies when alarmed.

Statistics
This small cuttlefish is just 8cm (3in) in length.

Distribution
They are found in northern Australia and Indonesia.

Habitat
A tropical species with limited distribution, it is found on the seabed in shallow waters.

Diet
Small fish and crustaceans.

Behaviour
Active in the day the cuttlefish uses vision to detect its prey. It's capable of rapid colour change that might be used to confuse predators or prey.

Reproduction
Like other cephalopods, the flamboyant cuttlefish breeds once and then dies.

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