Small Australian cuttlefish males can’t strong arm rivals, so they resort to a clever deception.
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TRANSCRIPT
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GIANT AUSTRALIAN CUTTLEFISH, UP TO 3 FEET LONG, ARE GATHERING TO BREED.
THE MARBLE-COLORED FEMALES DRAW IN THEIR TENTACLES TO SHOW THAT THEY'RE IMPRESSED BY A MALE.
THE BIG GUYS WITH BOLD, STRIPED COURTSHIP PATTERNS DOMINATE THIS CROWD.
THEY GUARD FEMALES UNDERNEATH THEIR BODIES.
A SMALL MALE HAS A TOUGH TIME EVEN GETTING A LOOK, AS BIGGER MALES USE BRUTE FORCE TO KEEP HIM AWAY.
BUT THIS OPPORTUNIST IS ABOUT TO PULL OUT HIS PARTY TRICK.
HE DRAWS IN HIS TENTACLES TO LOOK LIKE A FEMALE.
BUT THAT'S NOT ALL.
HE EVEN CHANGES HIS PATTERN TO COMPLETE THE CON.
USING THIS DEVIOUS DRAG ACT, HE SLIPS UNDERNEATH THE MALE.
AS FAR AS THE BIG GUY IS CONCERNED, HE'S NOW PROTECTING ANOTHER FEMALE.
BUT BENEATH HIM, OUR CROSS-DRESSER IS MATING WITH A FEMALE.
AND HE'S ENSURED THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THE NEXT GENERATION... BELONG TO HIM.
