Flamboyant cuttlefish save their bright patterns for flirting, fighting and fleeing

Video footage exposes elaborate mating and defense mechanisms of the charismatic cephalopod

flamboyant cuttlefish

The flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) is known for its bright purple and yellow patterns. Recent field observations caught females laying 15 to 25 eggs at a time in coconut shells and suggest that the animals may either return to the same shell over and over again or share shells with other females.

Steven Kovacs/Biosphoto/Alamy Stock Photo

Don’t let the name fool you.