[Coral-List] New squid mating behavior: males check locations for females to lay eggs

[Eduardo Sampaio]

 Hi everyone,

I'm happy to share our recent paper on a novel sexual behavior in *Sepiotheutis
lessoniana* from the Red Sea and Indonesia. We found that males perform
location probing of rock and coral crevices, prior to females laying their
eggs there. This behavior potentially serves to check for predators (we are
still unsure), but it definitely increases the complexity of mating
strategy dynamics within squid groups in several aspects, by expanding the
number of options each individual has available in their decision-making
process. For example, as dominant males have to momentarily forfeit
mate-guarding to probe, that instance can be taken advantage by rival males
(and perhaps the female itself). We discuss some potential evolutionary
scenarios in the paper, freely available here:

https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.3529

You can also read some coverage here:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/male-squid-help-choose-a-home-for-their-mate-first-ever-study-shows
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2289238-male-bigfin-reef-squid-may-be-the-best-fathers-of-all-cephalopods/

As you can imagine, there are many questions arising from these
observations. We're looking to collaborate with anyone that has access to
sites with S. lessoniana (or the American counterpart S. sepioidea) to
perform behavioral observations over a wider and more detailed sampling
area, as well as with people interested in doing genetics to assess species
identities and/or quantify reproductive success (and perhaps some lab
experiments as well). If you also have video of these species that you
don't mind sharing (during mating or even when just shoaling) please
contact me or any of the authors of the paper, we would love to see it!
Thanks in advance.

All the best,
Eduardo