Deadly Flamboyant Cuttlefish
Here’s an interesting update we received from FiNS Magazine Associate Editors Andrea and Antonella Ferrari:
Recent research by cephalopod specialist Mark Norman has shown that the colourful displays put on by flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) are for a specific purpose…to warn would-be predators of potential danger. In the case of this cryptic cuttlefish, it’s not the bite which is venomous (which is the case for blue-ring octopuses), but it’s the cuttlefish’s flesh which is poisonous. In other words, flashing bright colours warn predators to stay away from what would be a toxic meal.
The Ferraris report encountering many of these fascinating critters in both Kapalai and Lembeh.