This species differs from the giant cuttle and mourning cuttle in it's reddish blotched colouration (although this one changed colour several times whilst being photographed), relatively round body and eyes with a smooth socket and yellow edge. The mourning cuttle has a long mantle that extends between the eyes, and the giant cuttle has skin flaps on it's body and behind the eyes.
The red cuttle is not always red - this series of shots shows the one individual as it changes colour from dark red to lighter mauve. This is one of three cuttle species in Australia; the yellow lining around the eye is diagnostic of the species.Camera settings including strobe are identical for all three shots.
The red cuttle is not always red - this series of shots shows the one individual as it changes colour from dark red to lighter mauve. This is one of three cuttle species in Australia; the yellow lining around the eye is diagnostic of the species.
Attribution: Miguel Cabanellas (Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies).With a refined and tenacious tactic of predation, the European squid (Loligo vulgaris) has captured a bream (Sparus aurata) launching its tentacles and applying a lethal bite in the prey column. The image captures the moment when the squid seizes the prey with his arms. Highly Commended in the BMC Ecology Image Competition 2012:BMC Ecology 2013, 13:6 doi:10.1186/1472-6785-13-6www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/13/6