Giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama) couple mating. During mating, the male passes a spermatophore into a pouch by the female's mouth. The spermatophore the

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Giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama) couple mating. During mating, the male passes a spermatophore into a pouch by the female's mouth. The spermatophore then bursts, releasing sperm into her mantle cavity, which fertilises the eggs. The eggs are then laid individually. This cuttlefish inhabits coastal waters around South Australia, and during the Australian winter, hundreds of thousands of giant cuttlefish descend on the area around Whyalla to breed and lay eggs. It is one of the largest cuttlefish, reaching a length of over 50 centimetres and weighing up to 5 kilograms. Photographed off Whyalla, South Australia.

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Size: 5104px × 3422px
Photo credit: © GEORGETTE DOUWMA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, apama, australia, australian, breeding, couple, cuttlefish, female, giant, invertebrates, male, marine, mating, mollusca, nature, ocean, pair, reproduction, sea, sepia, south, tropical, underwater, whyalla, wildlife, zoology