Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Metasepia pfefferi
- Common name
- Flamboyant Cuttlefish
- Category
- Molluscs
- Family
- Sepiidae
- Genus
- Metasepia
- Size
- 8–12 cm
- Depth
- 5–60 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- sandy-bottom, coral-reef
- Behaviours
- benthic, solitary, nocturnal
- Ocean zones
- Asian Pacific, East Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean & Red Sea
Description
Metasepia pfefferi reaches 12 cm. Tiny cuttlefish (Cephalopoda) Western Indo-Pacific. Pale ivory body, black octal marks. Extreme chromatophores: red-orange-yellow-black in <0.1 sec. Male mating dance = hypnotic strobe-light display. Solitary benthic shallow sandy bottoms. Tiny predator. Venomous BUT minimal danger if isolated. Coastal reefs 5-60 m. No threats = LC. Spectacular on video.
Photo of Flamboyant Cuttlefish
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Flamboyant Cuttlefish?
- Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) reaches 8–12 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Flamboyant Cuttlefish?
- Flamboyant Cuttlefish is found between 5–60 m deep.
- Is the Flamboyant Cuttlefish dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Flamboyant Cuttlefish?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Flamboyant Cuttlefish?
- Found in: Asian Pacific, East Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean & Red Sea.
Other species in the family Sepiidae
- Sepia officinalis - Common cuttlefish
- Sepia orbignyana - Pink cuttlefish
- Sepia latimanus - Bigfin Reef Squid
- Sepia pharaonis - Pharaoh Cuttlefish
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 342366)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2290892)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia