ALIENS OF THE DEEP, film on CEPHALOPODS FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNELS WILD

[saintthomas]

To all cephalopod lovers,

We are currently producing a film on cephalopod predatory and reproductive behavior for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNELS and several European broadcasters, including NDR, ARTE, SVT. We have been so far filming spectacular predations offshore Brazil and in the Philippines ( see NEWS : ALIENS OF THE DEEP...SMALL IS BEAUTIFULL and click on the image to launch the video). We are now looking for:

- little known predatory or courtship behavior,
- interesting black water dives,
- flamboyant cuttlefish eggs (possibly in aquariums).

If you have any advise or suggestions, please use this thread. We need to wrap up all filming before October 2019. Of course, we'll post videos and pictures on the way.

Bertrand LOYER ( Bertrand Loyer - IMDb).

 

[tonmo]

Awesome! I'm hopeful our community will rise to the opportunity here; I've also tweeted the thread. Best of luck with your production and keep us posted!

 

[saintthomas]

Thanks for your "hospitality". Since the community enjoys cephalo picts, please look at this one, taken offshore Anilao in the Philippines. We will be back in a different location for more black water dives soon... but anyone with great cephalo locations (even deep or open ocean ones), please share.

 

[Connor Gibbons]

Hello @saintthomas ,

Awesome to hear about your documentary! I'll be eagerly looking forward to it. If you were interested in flamboyant cuttle eggs in an aquarium setting a great place to reach out to is the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. They have an outstanding cephalopod breeding operation that would have a variety of cephs in egg/larval forms (flamboyants included) that could be great for your filming! I will also be getting flamboyant and several other species of cuttlefish from them in near future (once paperwork clears!) for a new exhibit I'm opening so I may have eggs in the near future as well if you need a back up plan.

Hope this helps!!!

 

[saintthomas]

Hi Connor, thanks for this. It does help. We will certainly try to contact Woods Hole. What we are interested in is parental care (senescence) and transparent eggs ( for macro film making). Please keep me posted on the species you will have in your exhibit.

 

[Connor Gibbons]

We should be getting Flamoyant Cuttlefish, Dwarf Cuttlefish, and Striped Pyjama Squid to start.

 

[saintthomas]

Hi Connor, thanks for this. Can you confirm your exhibition will take place around New York area, and where precisely ? I should have a crew in Wash DC next week, might be worth doing a quick jump to NY to film in macro some Flamboyant/Dwarf cuttlefish eggs.

 

[saintthomas]

Quick question for the experts ? as cannibalistic behavior been documented in cuttlefish ? I have filmed offshore Australia some surprising cannibalistic behavior of males eating one another, the large male chewing gently the skin of the smaller one. More screen grab on request....

 

[saintthomas]

Here is another view.... the poor little male in the front is very much alive...

 

[DWhatley]

Cuttlefish definitely fight and damage each other enough to cause death but I don't think I have seen a posterior attack like this before in other video/images.

 

[saintthomas]

Thanks for the reply. Amongst the 1000+ cuttlefish on that location for 15 days , it was the only ones involved in such a cannibalistic behavior. What surprises me is that they don't seem to be interested in eating during the mating season... and that they will die anyway in few weeks time. But... as some males are much much larger that other ones, I am wondering if, like some Atlantic salmon, some are living longer than other ones, and return to the feeding grounds after mating. Any ideas ?

 

[DWhatley]

As far as we know, they only have one mating season and their sizes vary considerably. The size differences have been well noted and "sneaker male" breeding behavior seems to be the result. Here are some Googled videos showing the behavior

 

[saintthomas]

Well, I also had some sneaker male who tried every possible camouflage and threats, but could not access the female...

... and met a terrible end.