Cuttlefish extend soft tentacles to capture evasive prey. High speed imaging of tentacle prey capture in two cuttlefish species reveals kinematically discrete, biphasic tentacle extension. A prolonged reach phase, often extending distances greater than their mantle length, is followed by a close-range, rapid attack phase. Reach phase duration is orders of magnitude longer and more variable than attack phase duration. Attack phase speeds vary minimally, such that attack duration is determined by