Cross-dresser
Some male cuttlefish are too small to fight for a mate, so have to come up with a sneaky plan if they are to get their way with the girls. Approaching a cuttlefish couple a smaller male assumes the role of a female, tucking up his tentacles and changing colour in an attempt to fool the large male who stands guard over the female. The large male thinks his luck is in with two females after his attention and is completed fooled by the small newcomer. As long as he avoids being grabbed in the mating embrace the cross-dresser is safe. Surreptitiously the female who's not too picky, mates with the smaller, sneaky male right in front of the large male. The eggs she now lays will contain a mixture of sperm from both fathers, giving her eggs the best possible chance of success.
Duration:
This clip is from
Featured in...
成人快手 Nature
Be captivated, informed and inspired by the world's wildlife.
April Fool 2010
A collection of clips featuring the whackier side of wildlife.
Wildlife Highlights 2009
The most fantastic moments from a year of wildlife programming from the 成人快手.
The Wildlife of Life
Discover the wildlife of the Life series.
More clips from Creatures of the Deep
-
Scavenger swarm
Duration: 02:56
-
Spiked
Duration: 02:44
-
Pack attack
Duration: 02:31
-
Moulting and mating
Duration: 04:00
More clips from Life
-
Woodland timelapse—Plants
Duration: 04:14
-
Woodland timelapse—Plants
Duration: 01:04
-
Partners for life—Birds
Duration: 02:22
-
Dancing dragons—Fish
Duration: 03:57