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Pfeffer's flamboyant cuttlefish — printable fact sheet
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Pfeffer's flamboyant cuttlefish
Metasepia pfefferi
Pfeffer's flamboyant cuttlefish is the only cuttlefish known to be toxic, and it advertises the fact loudly. It is small, and rather than swimming it usually walks along the seabed on two flattened arms and two fleshy lobes of the mantle — an odd gait for a cephalopod, and one t…
Did you know?
- Despite their stunning appearance, flamboyant cuttlefish have one of the shortest lifespans among cephalopods, living only about a year or two.
- It is the only cuttlefish known to be toxic — its flesh carries a poison comparable to a blue-ringed octopus's. It walks along the seabed on two arms and two flaps of mantle rather than swimming. The rolling waves of purple, yellow and red are a warning, not camouflage. Its skin is under direct nerve control, so the whole pattern can change in a fraction of a second.
What I learned
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