Spawning Behavior and Selection of Spawning Substrate.

Abstract

In order to elucidate the selection of spawning substrate by female cuttlefish Sepia esculenta, their behavior and trigger stimulus during a spawning sequence were examined in indoor tanks. Female approaches substrate, spurts water towards substrate, takes sediment in arms, covers eggs with sediment, spurts water towards substrate again, and undergoes egg deposition on substrate to complete one spawning. Females which finished copulation were visually attracted to more visible substrate. The height of a substrate was not an important factor for the attraction. Substrates which swung by the spurting water were not accepted by females. Females exhibited taking sediment even though there was no sediment on the tank bottom. It was concluded that female cuttlefish prefer long, fine, and immobile materials as spawning substrates.