Unusual cuttlefish behavior, stinging itself on anemones

[kaerius]

Filmed this in the similan islands, Thailand. Pharaoh cuttlefish, male by the size of it. Most of its tentacles were missing the tips or more.

Pure speculation, but could it be a form of drug use, like how dolphins use pufferfish?


Second view, good look at its tentacles.

 

[CephBirk]

My guess is that this is a senescent male. After mating, the males start to die and often exhibit strange behavior. The twitching arms are definitely strange and it looks like the undulating fin movements are a bit strange too... speculation from me too but that's my best educated guess (I'm a cephalopod biologist).

 

[kaerius]

My guess is that this is a senescent male. After mating, the males start to die and often exhibit strange behavior. The twitching arms are definitely strange and it looks like the undulating fin movements are a bit strange too... speculation from me too but that's my best educated guess (I'm a cephalopod biologist).

I chalked the twitching up to a reaction to the stinging cells from the anemones.