# Flamboyant Fish (DD-472)

> The flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) is a small Indo-Pacific cephalopod, not a fish. Its hatchlings emerge from translucent eggs as tiny, fully formed miniatures of the adults and can show vibrant coloration soon after. Adults flash purple, yellow and red warning colors as they walk along the seafloor. The footage, credited to science, shows hatchlings leaving their eggs.

- Department: Nature
- First published: 2025-01-28
- Last updated: 2025-01-28
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/flamboyant-fish/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Quick facts

- **DD-472-F01**: Cephalopod. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Group))_
- **DD-472-F02**: Indo-Pacific. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Range))_

## Write-up

Flamboyant cuttlefish hatch fully formed and already colorful. The title says fish; it is a cephalopod.

1. **Group**: Cephalopod.
2. **Range**: Indo-Pacific.
3. **Hatchlings**: Fully formed.
4. **Color**: Vibrant.
5. **Movement**: Walks on seafloor.

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: The title calls it a fish; the cuttlefish is a cephalopod.

## Video: Flamboyant Fish: Flamboyant Cuttlefish Hatch Fully Formed and Already Colorful

- Duration: 21.2 s · Published: 2025-01-28
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DFYqIREpPoH.mp4

### Transcript

[...] cuttlefish [...] tiny, fully-formed [...] These hatchlings [...] emerge from [...] vibrant coloration [...] cuttlefish [...] until it is [...] NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Is it a fish?**  
A: Mollusk. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Group) · Wikipedia: Flamboyant cuttlefish)_

**Q: Hatchlings are?**  
A: Miniatures. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Range) · Wikipedia: Flamboyant cuttlefish)_

**Q: Where found?**  
A: Reefs. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Hatchlings) · Wikipedia: Flamboyant cuttlefish)_

**Q: How do adults move?**  
A: Arms. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Color) · Wikipedia: Flamboyant cuttlefish)_

**Q: Colors?**  
A: Flamboyant. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Movement) · Wikipedia: Flamboyant cuttlefish)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Flamboyant cuttlefish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamboyant_cuttlefish)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Flamboyant Fish." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-472, last updated Jan 28, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/flamboyant-fish/