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Reproduction
An interesting thing about the female cuttlefish during the reproduction period is that it typically mates with more than one male. This is called being polyandrous. She collects the spermatophores which are packets of sperm produced by the mature male her buccal area. The female then chooses which sperm packet she wants to use based on the males physical attributes. After she chooses the right packet, she inserts the sac of sperm into the gonoduct where internal fertilization occurs. After the fertilization, she releases the eggs into a safe habitat where she thinks the eggs will be safe from predators. Short after that, the female will usually die.
The male side of the reproduction is also very interesting! They compete against one another by expressing bright, colorful shows to see who is more dominant. They flash their best and most creative patterns to attract their mate. After selecting the mate, the male uses his hectocotylus tentacle to deposit the sperm.
Males also are selected by their size and overpowering features to get a mate too. A unique thing to the species of cuttlefish is that the smaller males that cannot physically compete with the larger males disguise themselves as females by changing their color to resemble what a female would look like. The male cuttlefish uses this technique to get extremely close to the actual female and deposit its sperm into her. Although this is a very creative move by the male, he is sometimes mistaken for a female (self-explanatory).
Some more interesting facts about Reproduction:
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They have clear eggs during the growth of the infant cuttlefish. This makes them able to be seen during development.
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The breeding season last around 7 weeks.
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Before hatching from the egg, the infant releases an acid which helps crack open the egg.
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