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The cuttlefish required a complex system of carefully maintained tanks.

Weird Creatures - Giant Cuttlefish (Sepia apama) have been successfully bred in the UK for the first time at the Sealife Marine Development Centre in Weymouth in Dorset.

Britain has its first ever shoal of giant cuttlefish after an aquarium successfully hatched and reared 18 babies.

The unusual and spectacular species, which have been dubbed the marine world's 'masters of disguise', are native to the southern coast of Australia, where the can grow to over 2 ft in length, and have never been on display in the UK before.

Now fans of shows like Blue Planet, in which the colour shifting giant cuttlefish starred, will be able to see one in the flesh for the first time when they go on display at Scarborough Sea Life Centre in Yorkshire next month.

The youngsters, which are currently between eight and ten weeks old and measure just 3in, have been hatched from eggs at the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth, Dorset.