#sepiida

A broadclub cuttlefish (Ascarosepion latimanus) off the coast of Padar Island, Indonesia

To the flamboyant cuttlefish, the whole ocean floor is a runway! They are named both for their striking coloration and the way they will often 'strut' across the bottom of the ocean. Both of these traits are meant to ward off predators, as they are the only venomous cuttlefish and their flesh is highly poisonous.

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Order: Sepiida

Common Name: “cuttlefish”

Families: 2 - Sepiidae and Sepiadariidae (“bottletail squids”)

Anatomy: porous internal shell made of aragonite, used for buoyancy control; eight arms and two tentacles with denticulated suckers; W-shaped pupils; can rapidly alter their skin color, pattern, and texture within one second

Diet: other molluscs, crabs, shrimp, fish, worms

Habitat/Range: tropical and temperate ocean waters, mostly shallow water, although they are known to go to depths of about 600 m (2,000 ft)

Evolved in: Maastrichtian

Propaganda under the cut:

Closest ID: Bobtail squid (Rossinae subfamily)

Explanation: 👀👀👀 👀👀👀👀

Sepiida. This order is made up of cuttlefish, which have an internal shell called the cuttlebone that is used to control buoyancy.

Nautilida. This order is made up of nautilis, which have a unique planispiral shell, and move via jet propulsion. They're morphologically veyr similar to their ancient relatives, and are often called living fossils.

Southern Bottletail Squid Sepiadarium austrinum

This species occurs off South Australia in shallow coastal waters. This small species occurs in shallow water and is found in sandy habitats near to seagrass beds. During the day it remains buried in the sand but emerges at night to feed on small crustaceans, especially isopods.