Mating ritual of cuttlefish explained
Learn about the reproduction of cuttlefish.
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Transcript
Holland’s beaches - washed onto the shores are curious white objects. They are cuttlefish bones, the skeletons of rarely seen marine creatures. Cuttlefish are not fish at all, but cousins of squid and octopus.
In spring each year, they appear in the shallow waters around the Dutch coastline in their hundreds. They have come to mate and lay their eggs. Males and females circle each other in an elegant dance. With his eight arms, he tenderly caresses her back. Nearby, tempers are running high. Red with rage, a male launches an attack on a rival. Meanwhile, the two lovers are entwined in an intimate embrace. He transfers his sperm to her, and at last, the ritual is complete.
Soon after mating, the female lays her eggs. She attaches them individually to objects near the sea floor. Once spawning is complete, the shoal of cuttlefish disappear back into the open sea.
In spring each year, they appear in the shallow waters around the Dutch coastline in their hundreds. They have come to mate and lay their eggs. Males and females circle each other in an elegant dance. With his eight arms, he tenderly caresses her back. Nearby, tempers are running high. Red with rage, a male launches an attack on a rival. Meanwhile, the two lovers are entwined in an intimate embrace. He transfers his sperm to her, and at last, the ritual is complete.
Soon after mating, the female lays her eggs. She attaches them individually to objects near the sea floor. Once spawning is complete, the shoal of cuttlefish disappear back into the open sea.