But most of the creatures come together
for a very different reason.
To breed.
The giant cuttlefish,
the largest of all cuttlefish.
They live for just one or two years.
Now, as the Australian summer draws to an end,
they have one last act to complete.
To find a mate.
But there are over 100,000 males
competing for the arriving females in this one bay.
Among them, a giant. A true Goliath.
He probably weighs about ten kilos.
Bands of colour sweep across his skin;
that’s how cuttlefish communicate.
This smaller male couldn’t possibly take him on.
Beside Goliath, and under his protection,
a female who has just mated with him.
But other rivals are still interested.
It seems a small male wouldn’t stand a chance.
The female is now displaying a white stripe along her side nearest Goliath.
It’s a clear signal that she no longer wants to mate with him.
It’s all the encouragement that the little male needs.
He’s going to have to use trickery.
He tones down his colours and tucks in his arms.
He’s just the right size to mimic a female.
Goliath is deceived.
The small male now displays a white stripe,
just like the real female, to deter his advances.
He slips beside her
and they mate.
By mating with multiple partners,
the female ensures the greatest genetic diversity for her young.
The sneaky male leaves,
his final act complete.
So even among giant cuttlefish, it seems
it’s not all about size.
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