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  • This is a pair of pharoah cuttlefish (Acanthosepion pharaonis), female in the foreground. Having copulated with the male, the female is preparing an egg via internal fertilization, which she will then deposit under a nearby rock. The male in the background stands guard to ward off other males that might approach.
    acanthosepion-pharaonis-cuttlefish-r...tif
  • Adult female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) at the ocean surface with her mouth open. This whale has just surfaced from foraging in deep water. There is a small piece of squid on the tip of her lower jaw. She has many visible scars left by the suckers of Architeuthis sp. giant squid, which seem to be among the primary prey hunted by sperm whales in the waters of Ogasawara (the Bonin Islands) in Japan.
    sperm-whale-mouth-open-ogasawara-jap...tif
  • This is a 351 centimeter segment of an Architeuthis giant squid tentacular arm left in the water by a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) after it breached. The suction cups on the tentacular clubs are lined with sharp, serrated teeth made of chitin. Photographed in Ogasawara, Bonin Islands, Japan.
    tentacular-club-architeuthis-giant-s...tif
  • Small, inquisitive broadclub cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) that accompanied for much of a dive, hovering nearby and even approaching to inspect one of my camera rigs. The cuttlefish adjusted its coloration to match the background, but turned yellow briefly when it swam up above the substrate. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    cute-yellow-broadclub-cuttlefish-sep...tif
  • This is a female broadclub cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) depositing eggs among branches of table coral (Acropora sp.) shortly after mating.
    sepia-latimanus-cuttlefish-depositin...tif
  • This Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) has its arms wrapped around its prey, a skeleton shrimp (Caprellidae), which is a type of amphipod. Here the skeleton shrimp is clinging to the eelgrass by a single claw, but it eventually succumbed. Pygmy squids use venom to paralyze their prey, then inject digestive enzymes into their food. They ingest the liquified contents and discard the exoskeleton.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-eating-caprelli...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 3 in a series of 15.<br />
.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • This is the internal shell of a deep-water cephalopod called a Ram’s horn squid, also known as a little post horn squid (Spirula spirula). This cephalopod is the only known member of its genus. The internal shell is both robust and buoyant, so often found on beaches. This one washed up during a mass stranding of thousands of Physalia utriculus amd other animals of the open-ocean, pelagic community. Attached to the shell were pelagic goose barnacles (Lepas sp.).
    rams-horn-shell-spirula-goose-barnac...tif
  • Broadclub cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) resting on the dark sand bottom of the Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    broadclub-cuttlefish-Sepia-latimanus...tif
  • Shown here is a female Pharoah cuttlefish (Acanthosepion pharaonis) ejecting white strands from her siphon just prior to depositing an egg. Previous strands of this material are visible on the substrate. This white substance is the gelatinous material this female produces in her nidamental gland to envelope eggs. Females sometimes eject this material while preparing eggs. The male is watching over her to ensure rival males do not approach. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
    acanthosepion-pharaonis-cuttlefish-m...tif
  • This is a large male broadclub cuttlefish hovering above a coral reef during the reproductive season. Multiple males like this were engaged in competition for females that were ready to mate and deposit eggs.
    sepia-latimanus-broadclub-cuttlefish...tif
  • This is a flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) extending its feeding tentacles to grab a sandperch (Parapercis sp.). The cuttlefish's tentacular clubs are milliseconds from latching on to the fish.
    metasepia-pfefferi-flamboyant-cuttle...tif
  • This is a pile of northern Pacific seastars (Asterias amurensis) and blue bat seastars (Patiria pectinifera) that are scavenging a dead giant pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini). It took several days for the entire octopus to be consumed.
    enteroctopus-dofleini-giant-pacific-...tif
  • This is a giant pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) investigating a pile of northern Pacific seastars (Asterias amurensis) and blue bat seastars (Patiria pectinifera) that are scavenging a dead giant pacific octopus. One arm of the dead octopus is visible. Most of the dead cephalopod had already been consumed. This octopus touched and caressed the remains of the dead octopus for a few minutes, then departed.
    enteroctopus-dofleini-giant-pacific-...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 9 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • An adult female sperm whale carrying a large piece of giant squid, which this group of whales had brought up from the deep trench. They were playing with the leftover bits of squid, shredding their meal, perhaps in the process of weaning the juvenile sperm whale pictured swimming alongside the female. I followed this group for several days, and this female was the dominant individual, swimming by and using sonar to check out my boat and people in the water.
    sperm-whales-eating-giant-squid-phys...tif
  • An adult female sperm whale carrying a large piece of giant squid, which this group of whales had brought up from the deep trench. They were playing with the leftover bits of squid, shredding their meal, perhaps in the process of weaning the juvenile sperm whale pictured swimming alongside the female. I followed this group for several days, and this female was the dominant individual, swimming by and using sonar to check out my boat and people in the water.
    sperm-whales-eating-giant-squid-phys...tif
  • This is a 351 centimeter segment of an Architeuthis giant squid tentacular feeding arm left in the water by a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) after it breached. The suction cups on the tentacular clubs are lined with sharp, serrated teeth made of chitin. Photographed in Ogasawara, Bonin Islands, Japan.
    architeuthis-giant-squid-feeding-arm...tif
  • Mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) traveling across the dark sand muck in Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    mimic-octopus-thaumoctopus-mimicus-l...tif
  • Flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) in Ambon, Indonesia
    Metasepia-pfefferi-flamboyant-cuttle...tif
  • A small Chiroteuthidae squid dropped by a sperm whale. This family of squid are generally small to medium in size, soft and gelatinous, slow moving. This one looks too small to have been a targeted meal for a sperm whale.
    deepwater-Chiroteuthidae-squid-dropp...tif
  • This is a pair of Pharoah cuttlefish (Acanthosepion pharaonis) mating. The cephalopods lock arms, and the male passes spermatophores to the female by means of a specialized arm (hectocotylus). The male stays with the female while she deposits eggs, to prevent access by rivals. Visible on the ground at the left side of the photo are strands of a stringy substance emitted by the female via her siphon each time before she deposits an egg. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
    acanthosepion-pharaonis-cuttlefish-m...tif
  • This is a female Sepia latimanus broadclub cuttlefish preparing to deposit eggs into the Acropora coral. Females adopt this characteristic scrunched up face prior to depositing eggs. The male that has just mated with her is standing guard in the background to keep other males away.
    sepia-latimanus-cuttlefish-courtship...tif
  • This is a bobtail squid (Euprymna morsei), known as mimi-ika in Japanese.
    euprymna-morsei-mimika-bobtail-squid...tif
  • After a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) deposits eggs on eelgrass as shown here, sand and other debris accumulate and adhere to the eggs quickly. Within a short time, egg clusters become opaque. This may serve to protect the eggs. The eggs pictured here were fresh, deposited less than an hour before. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-eggs-japan-2021...tif
  • This is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) that is consuming a large skeleton shrimp (Caprellidae), which is a type of amphipod. Pygmy squids use venom to paralyze prey, then inject digestive enzymes into their food. They ingest the liquified contents and discard the exoskeleton.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-eating-caprelli...tif
  • Pictured here is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). During reproductive season, females receive spermatophores from multiple males (white strands visible) and deposit eggs multiple times. Adults die at the end of the reproductive period. Eggs hatch and mature within a few months, reproducing again to repeat the cycle. Two reproductive cycles take place each year.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 15 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 8 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • An adult female sperm whale carrying a large piece of giant squid, which this group of whales had brought up from the deep trench. They were playing with the leftover bits of squid, shredding their meal, perhaps in the process of weaning the juvenile sperm whale pictured swimming alongside the female. I followed this group for several days, and this female was the dominant individual, swimming by and using sonar to check out my boat and people in the water.
    sperm-whales-eating-giant-squid-phys...tif
  • Part of a squid dropped by a sperm whale. From the size, shape and shape of the clubs on the feeding tentacles, my guess is that this is the remnants  of a sharpear enope squid (Ancistrocheirus lesueuri), a mesopelagic squid that sperm whales feed upon in the southern hemisphere.
    ancistrocheirus-lesueuri-sharpear-en...tif
  • Two centimeter juvenile flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
    flamboyant-cuttlefish-juvenile-metas...tif
  • Photographer Douglas Seifert demonstrating the stickiness of the suction rings of an Architeuthis giant squid feeding arm. The squid's suction rings are lined with sharp, serrated teeth made of chitin, which help the animals to grasp and cling to prey. In this photograph, the suction rings are clinging to the glass of Douglas's scuba diving mask. I retrieved this 351-centimeter long Architeuthis arm fragment after seeing a sperm whale breach. Photographed in Ogasawara, Japan.
    douglas-seifert-architeuthis-giant-s...tif
  • I retrieved this after joining a female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) that had just surfaced from a foraging dive. She had some Architeuthis giant squid arm fragments stuck on her face, and she spat out this piece. When I grabbed this squid arm fragment, it was ice cold.
    ice-cold-architeuthis-giant-squid-ar...tif
  • Measuring part of an Architeuthis giant squid feeding arm that I recovered after seeing a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) breach in the deep waters of the Ogasawara islands in Japan. The squid arm, which was only a portion of the entire feeding tentacle, was 351 centimeters.
    measuring-architeuthis-giant-squid-a...tif
  • Close-up view of the suckers on the tentacular club of an Architeuthis giant squid. I recovered this squid arm after seeing a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) breach in the waters around Ogasawara, Japan (the Bonin Islands). Note the sharp, serrated teeth that line the edge of the suction cups. These are made of chitin, and help the squid to grasp and secure prey.
    architeuthis-giant-squid-tentacle-su...tif
  • Veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) looking for food at night in the Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
    coconut-octopus-amphioctopus-margina...tif
  • Cuttlefish (Sepia sp.) eating a small shrimp it just captured
    Sepia-cuttlefish-eating-shrimp-ambon...tif
  • Small octopus sitting on orange sponge, demonstrating its ability to create hair-like projections with its skin. Ambon, Indonesia.
    Octopus-on-orange-sponge-ambon-indon...tif
  • Octopus peeking out from a discarded bottle like a cephalopod cyclops, photographed in the Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    octopus-in-bottle-in-the-muck-lembeh...tif
  • A small Chiroteuthidae squid dropped by a sperm whale. This family of squid are generally small to medium in size, soft and gelatinous, slow moving. This one looks too small to have been a targeted meal for a sperm whale.
    whiplash-squid-dropped-by-sperm-whal...tif
  • Veined octopus in front of a glass bottle, which it was using as a makeshift home
    Veined-octopus-Amphioctopus-marginat..tiff
  • Pictured here is an Acanthosepion pharaonis cuttlefish male attempting to  mate with a female. There is another male in the background that made numerous but unsuccessful attempts to challenge and dislodge the primary male. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
    acanthosepion-pharaonis-cuttlefish-m...tif
  • This is a giant pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) gliding across the ocean bottom in the northern waters of Japan.
    enteroctopus-dofleini-pacific-giant-...tif
  • This is a giant pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) foraging for food. The animal has enveloped rocks in order to search holes and crevices for prey.
    enteroctopus-dofleini-pacific-giant-...tif
  • This is a bobtail squid (Euprymna morsei), known as mimi-ika in Japanese.
    euprymna-morsei-mimika-bobtail-squid...tif
  • This is a close-up view of a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). After finishing with an egg, females lift away from the substrate like this, perhaps as part of the process of preparing the next egg. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). The white mass to the left of the fresh eggs are eggs that were deposited earlier, not necessarily by this female. Fine grains of sand and other debris have covered the older eggs. The females seem to prefer certain blades of eelgrass. It is common to see two or more clutches on a single blade of eelgrass and none on others.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • Japanese pygmy squids (Idiosepius paradoxus) possess an attachment organ under the dorsal surface of their mantle, which they use to secure themselves to seaweed such as this eelgrass. This individual is a female, as evidenced by her collection of elongated white spermatophores that have been provided by multiple males.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-with-spe...tif
  • This Idiosepius paradoxus Japanese pygmy squid is consuming a crustacean, perhaps an amphipod of sub-order Hyperiidea. The compound eye of the prey is visible. These small squids immobilize prey with venom, then inject digestive enzymes and consume the liquified contents. They discard the empty exoskeletons when finished.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-eating-hyperiid...tif
  • Male Japanese pygmy squids (Idiosepius paradoxus) like the darker squid on the right side of this image often approach females in the process of depositing eggs to pass on spermatophores. Pictured here is the moment the female has accepted spermatophores from the male. Spermatophores that she has previously received from other males are visible attached to her mantle.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-spermato...tif
  • This female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) is depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). The curved white strands are spermatophores attached by multiple males. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) depositing eggs on a blade of eelgrass (Zostera marina). Reproductive season takes place twice a year.. Adults of this species die after reproduction, which means that there are two generations each year. Size descriptions generally suggest maximum size of up to 18mm. The females in this area were considerably larger, in the range of 30mm. Photographed at magnification of two times life-size.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • Octopuses are renowned for their intelligence and curiosity, This East Asian common octopus (Octopus sinensis) snuck up at night to take my dive light. The light was attached to my wrist via a lanyard, so try as it might, the octopus was unable to claim its prize. We engaged in a game of tug-of-war for a few minutes, during which I laughed so hard that I must have wasted a considerable amount of air. The octopus eventually relented, blending in with the substrate and sulking.
    octopus-sinensis-east-asian-common-o...tif
  • This is a stubby squid (Rossia pacifica), a relative of bobtail squids. This species is native to the North Pacific, found in a wide range of depths, from 20m to 1300m. This individual was between 10cm and 12cm in total length.
    rossia-pacific-stubby-squid-japan-20...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 14 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 5 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 6 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 7 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • Mimika bobtail squid (Euprymna morsei)
    mimika-bobtail-squid-euprymna-morsei...tif
  • A family of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) resting at the ocean surface, with the lead female holding Architeuthis giant squid in her mouth. There was a calf in this family group that was unable to dive deep for extended periods of time with the adults. It is possible that the adults were teaching the calf to consume giant squid, as the family group played with the squid for an extended period of time, with the whales shredding the squid to pieces in the process. Photographed in Ogasawara, Japan.
    sperm-whales-eating-giant-squid-phys...tif
  • An adult female sperm whale carrying a large piece of giant squid, which this group of whales had brought up from the deep trench. They were playing with the leftover bits of squid, shredding their meal, perhaps in the process of weaning the juvenile sperm whale pictured swimming alongside the female. I followed this group for several days, and this female was the dominant individual, swimming by and using sonar to check out my boat and people in the water.
    sperm-whales-eating-giant-squid-phys...tif
  • This is a dead mature female Ancistrocheirus lesueuri squid, which is a mesopelagic cephalopod living in the range of 200 to 1000 meters depth. This specimen was found at the surface, floating upside down as pictured here. There are photophores visible on the ventral surface (facing up) and hooks on both clubs of the feeding tentacles. This squid is an important part of the diet of sperm whales in the southern hemisphere. There were many sperm whales in the area when this was photographed. This species is ammoniacal, meaning it stores ammonia ions in the arms, head and mantle tissue for buoyancy. Why this specimen would only float upside-down is unclear. Perhaps the ammonia (which is lighter than sea water) was the cause. This specimen was 40cm to 45cm.
    ancistrocheirus-lesueuri-sharpear-en...tif
  • Adult female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) at the ocean surface with her mouth open. This whale has just surfaced from foraging in deep water. There is a small piece of squid on the tip of her lower jaw. She has many visible scars left by the suckers of Architeuthis sp. giant squid, which seem to be among the primary prey hunted by sperm whales in the waters of Ogasawara (the Bonin Islands) in Japan. Note the cluster of sucker scars at the base of the whale's lower jaw. Also, it is possible to see inside the roof of the whale's mouth. This angle shows clearly that the whale has no teeth in the upper jaw, only the lower jaw.
    sperm-whale-physeter-macrocephalus-o...tif
  • This is a 351 centimeter segment of an Architeuthis giant squid feeding arm, laid side-by-side with my friend Shiho Kudo for scale. I recovered this squid arm after seeing a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) breach. Photographed in Ogasawara, Bonin Islands, Japan.
    giant-squid-arm-architeuthis-japan-o...tif
  • This is a 351 centimeter segment of an Architeuthis giant squid tentacular arm left in the water by a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) after it breached. The suction cups on the tentacles are lined with sharp, serrated teeth made of chitin. Photographed in Ogasawara, Bonin Islands, Japan.
    architeuthis-giant-squid-tentacular-...tif
  • Small octopus peering out of a discarded glass bottle in the muck of Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    octopus-in-a-bottle-lembeh-strait-in...tif
  • Starry night octopus (Callistoctopus luteus | Octopus luteus) foraging for food in Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. These bright-red octopuses are relatively common at night in this area.
    starry-night-octopus-Callistoctopus-...tif
  • Small cuttlefish hunting in shallow water, with its feeding tentacles extended. Ambon, Indonesia
    sepia-cuttlefish-hunting-ambon-indon...tif
  • This is a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) resting comfortably inside a bivalve shell. It was early in the morning, after the octopus's prime hours of nocturnal activity. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-octopus-in-s...tif
  • Shown here is a female Pharoah cuttlefish (Acanthosepion pharaonis) in the foreground preparing an egg for fertilization, using the spermatophores passed to her by the attending male. The female's scrunched-up face is characteristic of this point in the reproductive process. Shortly after this photo was taken, the female deposited a single egg in a crevice among the rocks. This pair was at 25m depth. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
    acanthosepion-pharaonis-cuttlefish-m...tif
  • Shown here is a cluster of Pharoah cuttlefish (Acanthosepion pharaonis) eggs that were deposited five days prior to this photograph being taken, far back in a narrow crevice among rocks. Despite the concealed location, many of the eggs had been already consumed by predators. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
    acanthosepion-pharaonis-cuttlefish-e...tif
  • Acanthosepion pharaonis cuttlefish males compete for females during the reproductive season. Pictured here is a male warding off two challengers in the background. The bright, gaudy patterns and colors are characteristic of this situation. This male later mated with the female. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
    acanthosepion-pharaonis-cuttlefish-m...tif
  • This is a starry night octopus (Callistoctopus luteus) hunting at night. It is searching the folds of Pavona decussata leaf coral for prey.
    callistoctopus-luetus-starry-night-o...tif
  • This female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) is cleaning the surface of eelgrass (Zostera marina) prior to depositing an egg. The curved white strands are spermatophores attached by multiple males. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) is preparing to deposit an egg by cleaning the surface of eelgrass (Zostera marina). The curved white strands are spermatophores attached by multiple males. Photographed at two times life-size magnification.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 11 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • An adult female sperm whale carrying a large piece of giant squid, which this group of whales had brought up from the deep trench. They were playing with the leftover bits of squid, shredding their meal, perhaps in the process of weaning the juvenile sperm whale pictured swimming alongside the female. I followed this group for several days, and this female was the dominant individual, swimming by and using sonar to check out my boat and people in the water.
    sperm-whales-eating-giant-squid-phys...tif
  • This is a colorful pygmy squid (Idiosepius sp.), less than 1cm in length, hunting for food in relatively shallow water at night. Photographed during a blackwater dive in Palau.
    pygmy-squid-idiosepius-sp-palau-blac...tif
  • Close-up view of the suckers on the tentacular club of an Architeuthis giant squid. I recovered this squid arm after seeing a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) breach in the waters around Ogasawara, Japan (the Bonin Islands). Note the sharp, serrated teeth that line the edge of the suction cups. These are made of chitin, and help the squid to grasp and secure prey.
    architeuthis-giant-squid-suction-cup...tif
  • This sperm whale has just come up to breathe, after foraging for prey in deep water. There is a small piece of squid visible, attached to the whale's top left jaw. It is very likely a piece of Architeuthis giant squid, which seem to be relatively common in the deep waters adjacent to the Ogasawara island chain of Japan. There are also scars made by suction cups of squid feeding tentacles visible on the forehead of the whale. Those suction cups are lined with finely serrated rings of teeth made of chitin.
    sperm-whale-physeter-macrocephalus-a...tif
  • Small octopus peering out of a discarded glass bottle in the muck of Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    octopus-in-a-bottle-lembeh-strait-in...tif
  • Small octopus foraging at night in the muck of Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    small-octopus-foraging-at-night-lemb...tif
  • Top-down view of a mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) traveling across the dark sand muck in Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
    mimic-octopus-thaumoctopus-mimicus-l...tif
  • Leftover piece of a deep-water seven-arm octopus floating at the ocean surface in Ogasawara, perhaps remnants of predation by sperm whales or other toothed cetaceans. The octopus has eight arms, but the hectocotylus (a specially modified arm used in egg fertilization) is coiled in a sac beneath the right eye. Due to this species' thick gelatinous tissue, the arm is easily overlooked, giving the appearance of having only seven arms.
    seven-arm-octopus-haliphron-atlantic...tif
  • This is an East Asian common octopus (Octopus sinensis) holding a bivalve with a firm grip. The octopus did not want to share its upcoming meal. It walked away holding the shell like this in order to find a place to eat in private. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
    octopus-sinensis-bivalve-meal-japan-...tif
  • Shown here is a male Pharoah cuttlefish (Acanthosepion pharaonis) guarding a female depositing eggs after mating. Rival males were present in the area, hence the behavior of the male. Females deposit one egg at a time, backing up from the nest area to prepare each egg. This takes time. The male stays with her to keep other males away. The white string-like things on the ground comprise the gelatinous substance produced in the female's nidamental gland to envelope the eggs. Females sometimes eject this material while preparing eggs. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
    acanthosepion-pharaonis-cuttlefish-m...tif
  • Shown here is a male Sepia latimanus cuttlefish (right) approaching a female (left) in order to attempt to mate. The male has split his body pattern and coloration into two distinct halves for courtship. The half facing the female is a subdued whitish tone, which presumably communicates calm, soothing intent. The other half is normal pattern, possibly to ward off other males.
    sepia-latimanus-cuttlefish-courtship...tif
  • Pictured here are two male broadclub cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) engaged in a conflict. The bold striped pattern signals aggression. The males were fighting to establish dominance in the area around this large Acropora coral colony, where multiple females had gathered for spawning.
    sepia-latimanus-cuttlefish-males-fig...tif
  • This is a pair of broadclub cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) mating. Having succeeded in gaining the female's acceptance, the male on the right has wrapped his arms around the female's head. He is in the process of deliverying a package of sperm with his hectocotylus (modified left tentacle). The male typically stays with the female while she deposits fertilized eggs, to guard against copulation by other males.
    sepia-latimanus-cuttlefish-mating-ja...tif
  • This is a broadclub cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus) that was hunting small crustaceans.
    sepia-latimanus-broadclub-cuttlefish...tif
  • This is a flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) consuming a sandperch (Parapercis sp.) that it had just grabbed.
    metasepia-pfefferi-flamboyant-cuttle...tif
  • This is a female Japanese pygmy squid (Idiosepius paradoxus) during the reproductive season. The white strands are spermatophores that have been passed to her by males. Here she is extending her two tentacles while searching for prey.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-with-spe...tif
  • After depositing an egg and prior to cleaning the eelgrass again, female Japanese pygmy squids (Idiosepius paradoxus) lift away from the grass in this manner. This is part of the process of preparing the next egg that will be deposited. Photographed at a magnification of two time life-size.
    idiosepius-paradoxus-female-depositi...tif
  • This is a female East Asian common octopus (Octopus sinensis) protecting a clutch of eggs during the winter, which is not the usual time of year for this species to brood eggs. Reproductive activity is most common during the summer months. This female was eventually successful. Some eggs started to hatch after 62 days, running until 76 days. Hatching during the normal season requires only a few days.
    octopus-sinensis-east-asian-common-o...tif
  • This is an East Asian common octopus (Octopus sinensis), known as madako in Japanese. This one was positioned confidently at the entrance to a hole in the reef.
    octopus-sinensis-east-asian-common-o...tif
  • This is a juvenile giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), about 7cm to 8cm in diameter when the octopus was in this position.
    enteroctopus-dofleini-juvenile-giant...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 10 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 4 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
  • This sequence depicts a veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) using a broken bottle as a portable shelter. The octopus was carrying a small crab that it had caught for a meal. Image 2 in a series of 15.
    amphioctopus-marginatus-bottle-indon...tif
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Tony Wu Underwater Photography

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