Q&A

MARINE BIOLOGY

Why do cuttlefish cross-dress?

Cuttlefish have some of the most impressive courtship routines in nature. Big males adopt a striking zebra-stripe pattern on one side of their body to ward off rivals, while simultaneously displaying an attractive mottled pattern to a female on the other – quite a feat. But what if you’re not a large male able to scare off competitors? Some little ’uns ingeniously turn a dappled colour, round out their body shape and act very demure, exactly like a female. These ‘sneaker’ males slowly sidle up to an existing mating pair, and the dominant male is only too happy to accept another female to his side. Once in under the radar, the imposter mates with the female, then rapidly jets away before his cover is blown. This approach is so successful it has become an entire alternative mating strategy amongstAlix Harvey