Robot Communicates with Male Cuttlefish | Spy In The Ocean | BBC Earth

Like cuttlefish, our spy can communicate through patterns and colours in its skin. When our robot displayed patterns that would indicate it is a female, it attracted some male attention.

Spy in the Ocean is available on iPlayer in the UK and will be available on PBS in the US in the autumn.

#RobotCuttlefish # #SpyInTheOcean

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Welcome to BBC EARTH! The world is an amazing place full of stories, beauty and natural wonder. Here you'll find 50 years worth of entertaining and thought-provoking natural history content. Dramatic, rare, and exclusive, nature doesn't get more exciting than this.

[kimbrey]

That was so interesting to watch. You'd never think that you would ever see a "living" working robot cuttlefish, that even goes so far as attracts a mate. I'm floored!

[maggiejackson]

So. Like. We catfished a cuttlefish? For science?

[haristahir]

Imagine fighting over a potential mate just to find out she is a robot.

[watrgrl]

Oh my word! Whoever designed that robot cuttlefish is a genius!

[elijahtronti]

The other cuddle fish be like: “don’t do it bro, it’s a bot”

[TragoudistrosMPH]

This was utterly impressive. So hard to interpret, and such complex communication.

Trying to bridge our speech to their color patters will be a titanic effort!

[AmbientDawn]

Cuttlefish are one of the most incredible creatures. I could watch them for hours. So calming.

[tatsusama]

Sometimes, while watching these amazingly well made animal cameras, I think, "What if aliens have been doing this to us for years?" Then I remember Zuckerberg exists. . .

[danp]

I have a mental image of a clothes store dummy sitting in a night club with a hidden audio player inside saying "HELLO BABY", and a group of guys try to attract her attention while hidden somewhere a team of cuttlefish watch the whole thing via a hidden camera

[griffyt]

I went to the aquarium once and a teeny little baby cuttlefish came up to the glass to say hi, and followed my finger all around as I traced on the glass. I have been totally obsessed with them ever since ❤

[ab-uord]

The quality of footage, the calm voice of the narrator combined with the absolutely stunning scenes you guys manage to capture. I cant imagnine how much time and effort it takes to get such pictures, but I guess the robot gives a glimpse of that. I just love BBC Earth and what you guys are doing, greetings from Germany.

[Yotop-chwc]

We over here breakin’ REAL Cuttle Fish’s hearts 😢

[valkylva]

From what I observed I think the real cuttlefish knew the robot was different and was trying to figure out if it was male or female by displaying patterns and behaviors of a male first and female second to see how the robot would react.
I believe this was a way to figure out what exactly the robot was.

[explorer.samrat]

This footage seems like a world of fantasy... straight out of a Disney movie...too beautiful to be real... incredibly captured and documented. 😊😊

[TheJackedOLantern]

"So... are you a girl or a guy?"

"Affirmative."

"hmm... I could work with that."

[whitbyabbey]

He went from "You wanna go🤬?!" to "You wanna go somewhere?😘"

[playwithyourfood]

Lol imagine going back home then everyones like “Hahaha Larry made out with a sex doll cuttlefish!”😅

[catatonicbug]

Why is this not an hour-long documentary, including how it was built and deployed and the analysis of the results!!??

[mae]

It just makes it all the more magical it sounds like David T is the one vocalizing this incredible advancement. In awe all around

[eventerminator]

I never expected to see someone catfish a cuttlefish