Strange behavior(M. Pfefferi)

[skywindsurfer]

I took this video today. It is the second time I've seen this. The first time it lasted almost twice as long and the smaller cuttlefish chased the larger one all the way around the tank. They finally made contact, the larger one pulled all of its arms back, the smaller mirrored this, then they smacked into each other in a flash and each jetted away and stayed in their respective corners the rest of the day. Can anyone tell me if this is aggression or matting? I know that most cuttlefish interlock arms in a face to face embrace and I am assuming that this is aggression. I just want to see what others have to say.

 

[Thales]

Looks like two males to me, but the folding the arms back you described can be mating. It can be real quick in this species.

 

[skywindsurfer]

Thanks. My director wants to breed them but has only given me three animals. The other is almost three times the size of the largest one in the video and much older. When I put these two in he showed aggression to the smalles while almost guarding the medium sized one. What do you think of that? Though ever since then he mostly ignores them both.

 

[Thales]

Males will guard females from other males. Females are usually larger than males.

 

[skywindsurfer]

Are there any specific signs I can look for to distinguish the males from the females(or vice versa)?

 

[Thales]

Mating.

Other than that nothing I can tell you. There is something subtile that I think I can see, but I don't really know how to communicate that yet.

 

[skywindsurfer]

I've stared at them for hrs it seems looking for signs vut I realy haven't found anything. I know the largest one shows certain markings around its eyes that I have yet to see on the little ones, but again it could be nothing.

 

[skywindsurfer]

Well I guess you were right about the sexing of the two littles one. I witnessed the larger male mating with the large female. Shortly after the two males started to "fight". Then all cuttlefish went there own ways. I also found a very nice surprise this afternoon,..or should I say eleven of them lol.

 

[Thales]

NICE!

 

[skywindsurfer]

I really hope she lays more,..A LOT more. My director said he'll give me two more. Hopefully some more females so the other can mate and add to the gene pool.

 

[Thales]

Did you get these from Atlantis? They are all the same gene pool.

 

[skywindsurfer]

Not exaxtly sure where we got them just that they all came from the same lady.

 

[Thales]

Yep. Only one person has any right now and they are all offspring of offspring of a single wild female.

 

[Thales]

Reefs Magazine

 

[skywindsurfer]

Great news. Last night she laid two more eggs for a total of thirteen and even picked the one up off the bottom and re-attatched it. I can see little white masses in all the eggs.