Flamboyant Cuttlefish

Metasepia tullbergi

Identification	Small cuttlefish with a broad body that flashes vivid waves of purple, red, yellow, and white when disturbed. "Walks" across the bottom on its arms and fins.
Origin	Indo-Pacific — sand and mud flats of the Western Pacific
Maximum Length	3 inches (mantle)
Minimum Tank Size	30 gallons (dedicated species tank)
Reef Compatibility	Not a reef animal — a specialized predator; keep alone

Behavior

The Flamboyant Cuttlefish is a small, dazzling cephalopod famous for the pulsing waves of color it flashes across its body, and for “walking” along the seabed on its arms and fin flaps rather than swimming. It is a intelligent, mesmerizing ambush predator of a sand-flat habitat. It is also one of the only cuttlefish known to have toxic flesh, and like all cuttlefish it is short-lived (often under a year) and demanding to keep, making it strictly a specialist animal.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore. Hunts small shrimp and fish, striking with a pair of long feeding tentacles. In captivity it strongly prefers live food — live saltwater shrimp and small fish — and can be very difficult to wean onto frozen. Feed daily.

Cautions

Toxic/venomous — handle with extreme care and never bare-handed. Very short natural lifespan (often less than a year), and captive care is demanding: it needs pristine water, a species-only tank, live foods, and a soft sand bed. Keep alone. Escape-prone like all cephalopods — a fully sealed lid is essential. Not recommended for anyone but experienced cephalopod keepers.