Giant Cuttlefish: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Ocean Oddities · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. The giant cuttlefish is the biggest cuttlefish on Earth: up to 100 cm long and more than 10.5 kg.
2. Off Point Lowly, hundreds of thousands gather in May-August, the only known mass cuttlefish-spawning event worldwide.
3. Courting males flash bright, rapidly shifting colours, while sneaker males mimic females to slip past rivals.
4. Giant cuttlefish rest for 95% of the day, and over short periods they stay within a small area of just 90 to 550 m.
5. They stop eating while breeding and slowly lose condition. Each cuttlefish breeds only once, then dies.

The quiz

1. How long can a giant cuttlefish be?

• Up to 100 cm (correct)
• Up to 10 cm
• Up to 30 cm
• Up to 300 cm

It reaches up to 100 cm in length.

2. When do hundreds of thousands gather off Point Lowly?

• December to February
• May to August (correct)
• September to October
• All year round

The aggregation swells to hundreds of thousands during May-August.

3. How do sneaker males slip past rivals?

• They swim very fast
• They hide in sand
• They mimic females (correct)
• They squirt ink

Sneaker males mimic females to slip past territorial rivals.

4. How much of the day do giant cuttlefish spend resting?

• 25%
• 50%
• 75%
• 95% (correct)

They rest 95% of the day.

5. What happens after a single breeding season?

• The animals die (correct)
• They change sex
• They migrate north
• They lay eggs again

After a single breeding season the animals die.

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