This little cuttlefish really lives up to its name - it only reaches about 6cm long!
Species information
Statistics
Length: Up to 6cm
Conservation status
Common
When to see
January to December
About
The little cuttlefish is a small, cup-shaped cephalopod with large eye bulges. They are in fact a type of bobtail squid, rather than a true cuttlefish, and don't have a cuttlebone. They spend much of their time buried in sandy seabeds with only their eyes exposed, on the look out for predators and their favourite prey - little crustaceans. Like common cuttlefish, they are able to change colour using the chromatophores in their skin. They most often appear a paleish white with brown and black splodges - enabling them to blend in with their sandy home.
How to identify
A very small cuttlefish with a rounded cup-like body and protrusive eyes. Normally pale with brown and white blotchy markings, but changes colour when disturbed. Eye bulges sometimes tinged green.