"sneaking" behaviour. In this scenario, a smaller male will attach spermatophores to the female's mouth area while she is being courted by a larger male using the "male-upturned" behaviour. Even when successful, the male using this strategy is usually chased away by the larger male afterwards. The spermatophores usually remain embedded near the mouth of the female. Mating usually occurs well before spawning, but may also happen on the spawning grounds themselves. In those cases, the male will stay near the female's side as she lays eggs. Males have been observed to exhibit mating behaviours with other males. Some males have been found with numerous spermatophores embedded in their mouth funnels. Since bigfin reef squids distinguish sex by visual cues, this may be a form of deception. The smaller males (termed "female mimics" or "sneaker males") might have assumed body patterning typical of females in order to trick larger males. Believing they are females, they will then waste their spermatophores on them. This behaviour has also been observed in other cephalopods. Reproduction and life cycle The main spawning season for bigfin reef squids usually begins in May, but they lay eggs all year round and spawning seasons can vary by location. A single female can spawn more than once in her lifetime. Females can release 20 to 1180 eggs per individual and will die soon afterwards. The females spawn by passing eggs from their oviducts. These eggs are then coated in gelatinous substances from the nidamental glands and oviducal glands, forming an egg 'capsule'. The egg capsules of the bigfin reef squids contain two to nine eggs each. These are laid in single straight strands on rocks, corals, aquatic plants, submerged branches and other surfaces. At this point, the eggs are in diameter and the egg capsules about in length and in width, on average. The capsules incubate for about 3 weeks, depending on temperature. In warmer Indonesia, the incubation period was recorded to be only 15 to 16 days, while in Thailand it takes around 20 to 22 days. They gradually enlarge by absorbing water, reaching around in length and in width. Unfertilised eggs remain milky white and do not develop further. Fertilised eggs undergo cell division reaching a diameter of with the developing embryo at on the day before hatching. Upon hatching, the paralarvae are in mantle length (excluding tentacles), with fully functioning fins and ink sacs. They