Fauna
Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 2290701

Giant African Cuttlefish

Sepia hierredda

Also known as West African Cuttlefish

Giant African cuttlefish patrol the continental shelf along the western coast of Africa, using an internal gas-filled cuttlebone to maintain neutral buoyancy just above the seabed. Their skin contains thousands of chromatophores and iridophores that shift instantly to replicate sandy ripples, rocky reefs, or vibrant zebra patterns during aggressive territory disputes. When hunting, they creep close to unsuspecting prey before ejecting two elastic feeding tentacles with lightning speed.

CephalopodCamouflageMarine
Giant African Cuttlefish reference1 / 2
Licensed reference(c) Michiel de Groot, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michiel de Groot · cc-by
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Data DeficientConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXData Deficient — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Swimming Crabs
  • Penaeid Shrimp
  • Small Demersal Fish
Predators
  • Bottlenose Dolphin
  • Sandbar Shark
  • White Grouper
ThreatsCommercial bottom trawling, targeted fisheries, and coastal habitat degradation
HabitatsContinental shelf waters, sandy and muddy seabeds, seagrass meadows
Life span1–2 years
Classification
  1. FamilySepiidae
  2. SpeciesSepia hierredda
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe while diving or snorkeling at a respectful distance.
Responsible observation
  • Diving Etiquette: Move slowly and avoid sudden fin movements to prevent triggering an ink cloud defense.
  • Lighting Caution: Avoid shining high-intensity dive lights directly into their eyes as it disrupts their sight.
Related species
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