squidflakes wrote:The gesture you witnessed is actually a nifty little study in small colony social evolution. First off, the gesture isn't a greeting, its a very mild territorial challenge, just enough to let the other cuttles know that you aren't going to take any crap. In the wild, this gesture is made with the two top arms lifted and bent at the tips, making a V with its top ends curled down to point at the recipient of the message.
Except that the ones I've seen in the tanks tend to point their arms down when they make the gesture I'm talking about. Which would suggest a shift in meaning more than just the crossed arms. Arms up is agressive, with all the arms up and curled tight being the "I really, REALLY don't like you" agro pose. Claw your hand up and hold it next to the tank and watch what they do.
All of the cuttles in the NRCC tanks (where that thing you watched was filmed) cross their arms when they make this guesture, and we have no idea why. It started happening right around Generation 5, and only adult cuttles that make it to the adult tank make the gesture. There are papers in the works about this phenomon, but no good conculsions so far.
Other than it's learned behavior. But are they sure the meaning hasn't shifted as well as the execution of the gesture? Arms high/tips pointed at subject is pretty clearly agressive behavior. Arms low/crossed/tips pointed at subject isn't nearly so clearly an agressive behavior. I'd be really suspicious that the meaning had shifted as well.
Just about every aquarium in the US, and some abroad that have cuttles have gotten them from the NRCC. Apparently we breed 'em sweet and docile
And large, apparently.
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