Sputtlefish

Sputtlefish
Appears in	Pikmin 3
Scientific name	Pseudocephalopoda florascens
Family	Squirdler
Areas	Garden of Hope
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages	Forgotten Cove, Beastly Caverns
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages	Silver Lake
Side Story days	Land, Sea, and Sky
Bingo Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eat Pikmin, squirt Ink

The Sputtlefish (カワスミ^?, lit.: "River Cuttlefish") is a squid-like enemy with a flower-like protrusion atop its head, found in Pikmin 3. These enemies can only be found underwater. They swim casually when not threatened, but upon the arrival of Pikmin, they will take an upright posture and swim towards them. They can lash out on Pikmin with their tentacles, grabbing and eating them one at a time. If attacked, one will release ink which causes Pikmin to panic for some time until they are whistled and swim away. The Sputtlefish can also gradually heal if left alone once attacked.

Stats

Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health
5	10 (normally)	5	× 30 × 30	300

Notes

Alph's comments

“Structural flaw: soft hide
Weight: 5

Its tentacles are designed both for locomotion and to spray an obscuring jet of ink to cover its escape. Pikmin tend to panic when soaked in ink, so bail them out quickly. But you also have to chase after it quickly with any Blue Pikmin you have on hand, or it'll regenerate the damage you dealt. Though it's almost a shame to defeat it, since it's so beautiful in motion.”

Brittany's comments

“It's like a flower that blooms in water instead of earth. So elegant...so beautiful...so hungry for Pikmin. I guess every rose has its thorns.”

Charlie's comments

“Maybe it's something to do with the low friction down there, but all these underwater creatures are so slippery. The black ink it spouts whenever it feels threatened probably contributes to that, come to think of it.”

Louie's comments

US version

“Drain ink, and reduce over stove top until thick and aromatic. Add meat. Simmer in the ink sauce until tender. So good, you'll have to go back for seconds.”

European version

“Drain ink, and reduce until thick and aromatic. Add meat. Simmer in the ink sauce until tender. So good, you'll have to go back for seconds.”

Olimar's comments

“Sputtlefish
Pseudocephalopoda florascens
Squirdler family

Achieving a translucent look without iridophores and featuring 2 tentacles instead of 10 are the signature characteristics of the squirdler family. Its radial fins, resembling the petals of a flower, lend it a certain beauty as it swims, making it a popular ornamental pet. It can heal light abrasions and cuts via photosynthesis through its symbiosis with zooxanthella, so if you engage it, be sure to finish the job.”

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide

“Sputtlefish are small aquatic creatures that release ink when attacked. When you encounter a Sputtlefish, lock onto the creature and send a squad of Blue Pikmin charging in to attack. With a reasonably large squad, you shouldn't have any trouble defeating a Sputtlefish before it has a chance to retaliate.

If the creature does manage to release its ink, however, any Pikmin caught in the cloud will panic. Use your whistle to calm your scattered Pikmin and send them charging in for another attack.”

Behavior

Sputtlefish are generally passive creatures, attacking only when Pikmin are nearby. If the player doesn't bother it, it won't bother them. They are overall very simple creatures with a quick but predictable lash attack, capable of snatching only one Pikmin at a time, and they eat relatively slowly. When in danger, however, a Sputtlefish may release a cloud of ink, scattering any attacking Pikmin and propelling itself away from the fight. When it is not actively focusing on a prey, it will slowly regenerate health while idling. It can fully regenerate in 60 seconds.

Strategy

The following article or section contains guides.
The strategies shown are just suggestions.

A Sputtlefish can easily be defeated with six or seven Blue Pikmin. If all of them are able to latch onto the creature at the same time (they should all be preferably flowered), then it will be dead before it can release ink, which acts like non-deadly poison. If the creature is given the chance to ink, whistle them back to avoid any incident. Alternatively, the Pikmin can be left alone, and the ink will gradually wear off. This is not recommended, as it is a waste of time as well as a chance for Pikmin to get eaten by the fish (though unlikely). When it does ink, it might move around a bit, so chasing it may be necessary at times. If you come across a group of Sputtlefish, the strategy stays mostly the same; send 5-10 Pikmin onto each, and they won't be able to do much to help each other. If a Pikmin does get caught, you will likely be unable to save it if the creature is at full health, so it is always best to strike first.

If time is a concern, you can easily leave a small group of Blue Pikmin to attack a Sputtlefish, then go off and do something else that needs to be done, and the Pikmin should be able to take the creature down without any trouble.

Technical information

Pikmin 3 technical information (?)
Internal name	`kawasumi`
HP	300
Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill	0
White Pikmin ingestions to kill	1
Bomb rock explosions to kill	1
Bomb rock ingestions to kill	0
Number of direct hits on top to kill	0
Damage to leaders	10
Territory radius	200
Mission Mode value	30

Naming

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	カワスミ^? Kawa Sumi	River Cuttlefish
Chinese (traditional)	噴墨魚
French	Crachouillencre	From crachouille (sputtle) and encre (ink)
German	Sepiflora	From Sepia (a genus of cuttlefish) and "flower"
Italian	Sputinchiostro	Inkspitter
Korean	강먹물
Spanish (NoA)	Tintero de agua	Water inkwell