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No federal permit to keepDwarf cuttlefish
Sepia bandensis
Invertebrates › Cuttlefish (Sepiida) › Sepiidae (Cuttlefish)
The dwarf cuttlefish (Ascarosepion bandense), also known as the stumpy-spined cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish native to the shallow coastal waters of the Central Indo-Pacific.
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Water temperature | 78 degF Reported successful captive husbandry, not all cuttlefish. | 364 |
| Salinity | 34.5 ppt Source calls this specific gravity, but 34.5 is salinity in ppt; do not enter 34.5 as SG. | 364 |
| Aquarium volume example one adult | 30 US gal Author’s one-animal recommendation; larger groups require substantially more space. | 364 |
Care guide
Cuttlefish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Cuttlefish hunt crustaceans in coastal marine habitats, with dwarf Sepia bandensis occurring around Indonesia. [fg58-cut-dunlop]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For S. bandensis, provide at least 30 US gallons for one, 40 for two or 55 for three; larger cuttlefish require a separate design.
- Provide caves, overhangs or macroalgae and approximately 1 inch of sand for concealment.
- Use biological filtration and protein skimming; maintain ammonia and nitrite at zero and promptly remove discarded prey.
- For S. bandensis use salinity near 34.5 ppt and pH 8.0–8.5.
- Keep hatchlings in a nursery with protected outlets and no loose net seams.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 78°F |
- UVB: S. bandensis has no special lighting requirement; the cited keeper reports success under both fluorescent and stronger aquarium lighting.
Diet
- Live, appropriately sized marine shrimp; maintain a reliable live-food supply.
- Raw thawed shrimp once animals accept nonliving prey.
- Appropriately sized shore crabs; avoid freshwater feeder fish.
Social life
- Well-fed S. bandensis can share sufficient space, but crowding and food competition cause injuries or cannibalism; avoid fish tankmates.
Handling
- Minimize capture disturbances: netting can trigger heavy inking.
Health watch
- Feeding or mating injuries and cannibalism.
- Copper poisoning, including contamination carried with feeder fish.
- Water-quality deterioration from uneaten prey.
- Senescence with impaired hunting and tissue deterioration.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
A 2023 phylogenetic analysis reassigned this species from its former name (Sepia bandensis). Sepia baxteri and Sepia bartletti are possible synonyms.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Dwarf cuttlefish” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
Researched for this exact species, not its family. Good care copies these conditions.12345
| Where it lives | Lives in shallow coastal Indo-Pacific waters, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysian Borneo and New Guinea. It occurs over coral reefs and sand, sometimes alongside sea stars and sea cucumbers. |
| Water it lives in | Marine coastal reef water with tidal exchange; species-specific wild temperature, salinity and water-chemistry ranges were not established. |
| Climate | Tropical. |
| Active | Nocturnal. |
| Social life | Wild group structure is poorly documented; aquarium groups can develop aggression and cannibalism. |
| Wild diet | Primarily shrimp and other small crustaceans; detailed species-specific wild diet proportions were not established. |
| Behavior to plan for | Often walks along the bottom using arms and mantle flaps instead of swimming continuously; aquarium experience documents predation on small tank inhabitants. |
What this means for care
- Provide bottom resting areas and reef-like cover.
- Plan reliable marine crustacean prey supplies, as used by the Steinhart Aquarium.
- Avoid vulnerable community-tank animals and separate aggressive cuttlefish.
Profile
Profile
Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.
History
The species was traditionally known as Sepia bandensis. The supplied Wikipedia source states that a 2023 phylogenetic analysis reassigned it to Ascarosepion bandense, while the specialist SeaLifeBase source supplied here continues to list it as Sepia bandensis.
Keeper tips
- Provide tropical marine conditions appropriate for a reef-associated species.
- Include sandy bottom areas because SeaLifeBase specifically reports the species over sand as well as coral reefs.
- Provide structural complexity consistent with reef-associated habitat.
- Expect rapid and frequent changes in skin pattern.
- Do not infer a precise water temperature because none is stated.
Behaviors reported
- Rapidly changes skin pattern for camouflage.
- Uses skin-pattern changes in communication.
- Males perform courtship displays.
- During copulation the male grasps the female and transfers sperm with a hectocotylus.
Unique adaptations
- Rapidly changeable skin pattern used in camouflage and communication.
- A centralized brain and complex nervous system.
- Extensive networks of neurons in the arms.
Remarkable facts
- SeaLifeBase reports a maximum mantle length of 7.0 cm.
- It is reef-associated and tropical.
- SeaLifeBase places it in the Indo-Pacific.
- The supplied Wikipedia source states that a 2023 phylogenetic analysis reassigned Sepia bandensis to Ascarosepion bandense.
- Sepia baxteri and Sepia bartletti are listed by Wikipedia as possible synonyms.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The dwarf cuttlefish (Ascarosepion bandense), also known as the stumpy-spined cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish native to the shallow coastal waters of the Central Indo-Pacific. A 2023 phylogenetic analysis reassigned this species from its former name (Sepia bandensis). Sepia baxteri and Sepia bartletti are possible synonyms. It is common in coral reef and sandy coast habitats, usually in association with sea cucumbers and sea stars. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Tropical; 15°N - 9°S, 105°E - 139°E Indo-Pacific. — SeaLifeBase |
| Social life and communication | Dwarf cuttlefish are mostly solitary in the wild, though some social behaviors have been observed. Dwarf cuttlefish will often produce patterns specific to social interactions with conspecifics. While some of these patterns have been associated with specific behaviors, e.g. aggression, it is unclear exactly how the majority of social patterns are used. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Wild diet | Dwarf cuttlefish are generalist obligate carnivores, and hunt a variety of crustaceans and small fish. When a cuttlefish identifies a prey item, primarily by sight, they will often change patterns and "stalk" slowly towards it with their arms raised. The cuttlefish will then rapidly launch its feeding tentacles to grab the prey and pull it towards its oral cavity. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Reproduction | Members of the class Cephalopoda are gonochoric. Male and female adults usually die shortly after spawning and brooding, respectively. Mating behavior: Males perform various displays to attract potential females for copulation. — SeaLifeBase |
| Appearance and size | Maximum length 7.0 cm ml male/unsexed. — SeaLifeBase |
| Biology | Found over coral reefs and sand. — SeaLifeBase |
| History and naming | The genus name Ascarosepion comes from the Latinized forms of the Ancient Greek ἄσκαρος (áskăros) meaning "shoe" or "slipper" and σηπία (sēpía) meaning "cuttlefish". Ascarosepion was considered synonymous with Sepia until a 2023 phylogenetic study resurrected the genus. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
Researched care notes
Researched care notes
Findings checked against veterinary, zoo, welfare, keeper and peer-reviewed sources. Air, basking-surface and water temperatures are kept separate, and where sources disagree both are shown. “Study” notes report what a paper measured, not a universal rule.
Cephalopod Welfare (cross-species module)
Researched for this whole family or group; check species differences before applying.
- Match shelter, sensory exposure, water movement, and enrichment to the actual cephalopod species. Expert research guidance.1
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Determining the effectiveness of using dermal swabs to evaluate the stress physiology of laboratory cephalopods: A preliminary investigation Chancellor S et al., General and comparative endocrinology 2021
- Stress produces negative judgement bias in cuttlefish Giancola-Detmering SE et al., Biology letters 2024
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- SeaLifeBase (Palomares & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchFishBase's sister database for non-fish marine and freshwater life; values are referenced.
- Richard Ross / Tropical Fish Hobbyist: Sepia bandensis Husbandry and Breeding Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Colin Dunlop / Tropical Fish Hobbyist: Cuttlefish Husbandry Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Clint's Reptiles (YouTube): Cuttlefish, The Best Pet Cephalopod? Expert educator & keeperClint Laidlaw, PhD in Biology Education and MS in Evolutionary Ecology; owner of Clint's Reptile Room and a longtime keeper. His "Best Pet?" series reviews each species' care in depth.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.