The Flamboyant Cuttlefish Is Back to Wow the Aquarium
By Alysia Gray Painter ••
Humans can be described as flamboyant, a marvelous and rare designation, and we can even choose claim the word for ourselves, if we are confident, flamboyant, and truly awesome enough.
But there are only a few lucky earthlings that come with the title already intact, and some of those fabulously flamboyant earthlings can be admired by other earthlings, if those flamboyance-seeking earthlings know where to look.
It's the flamboyant cuttlefish, a strange and spectacular sea critter that is always a big hit with aquarium visitors. And the surreal cephalopods have just gone on view again at The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
Feeling the flamboyance? Check out some close-ups of this cool and otherworldly creature now. Even squee-ier? There are baby flamboyant cuttlefish on view, too. Find these fanciful fishes in the Tropical Pacific Jewels area.
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Robin Riggs
Hugh Ryono, of the aquarium, shared some cuttlefish observations in a 2015 blog post: "At first glance they may look like a tiny herd of colorful neon glowing rhinos or triceratops walking along the bottom of the exhibit. The color and texture of their bodies continuously changing making them look like an electrical light parade float at Disneyland."
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Robin Riggs
"Then a blink later they can dramatically change their color and blend into their background looking like a rock. They are called flamboyant cuttlefish and they really live up to their names. It’s also really neat how they will interact with you through the glass of their exhibit," continued Mr. Ryono.
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Robin Riggs
"They’ll actually come up and stare at you with their mesmerizing alien-like eyes. You really feel like they are analyzing you. You can’t help but feel a connection with these little critters."
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Robin Riggs
The cuttlefish's eight arms? They're all located near "the front of their body," says aquarist Janet Monday.
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Aquarium of the Pacific
As for the babies? You can see those, too, when visiting the Long Beach-based aquarium. There are a number of safety policies in place, so be sure to read all before you go, and get those reservations in advance, too.
