Science Today: Daring Dumpling Squid | California Academy of Sciences

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What would you risk for a little love?

For dumpling squid,
the answer is: everything.

Researchers wondered
how these little cephalopods

would react to a predator visit
just before, during and after mating.

To defend themselves in normal conditions,

the squid will ink or jet away.

But remember,
love makes you do crazy things.

The team discovered
that if a sand flathead fish

entered the same tank
as the squid before mating

the squid would ink and jet as usual.

But if the predator entered
during or afterward,

the squid basically ignored the fish

and went on with their business.

For these short-lived, solitary animals,

a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
like reproduction

is worth risking it all.

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