All language subtitles for Arabian Seas Series 1 2of5 Magicians of the Reef 720p

Arabia's coral reefs are
home to some of nature's
most impressive illusionists.

Animals that can transform
themselves -

often in the blink of an eye.

The most flamboyant
pulsate with color...

..and engage in enthralling
displays of showmanship.

Camouflage helps others
to become almost invisible.

Elaborate disguises
and clever distractions

can favor the bold.

These are Arabia's
Magicians Of The Reef.

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It's late May
in the Gulf of Oman.

Temperatures are rising,
as summer approaches.

The Gulf is situated
off the east coast

of the Arabian Peninsula.

It borders the coasts of
Oman, United Arab Emirates,

Iran and Pakistan.

It connects
the shallow Arabian Gulf

to the northwest

to the deeper, cooler
Arabian Sea further south.

In this underwater paradise,

conditions are now favorable
for the brief, but intense,

breeding season of one
extraordinary magician.

The cuttlefish.

Cuttlefish are members
of the cephalopod family,

which also includes
octopus and squid.

All of these
highly intelligent mollusks

have three hearts,
eight arms

and the largest brains
of any living invertebrate.

Cephalopods are notorious
masters of disguise.

They can change
their appearance

to match their surroundings
and escape detection.

These magicians are also able

to alter their body patterns
and color,

to put on quite a show.

The breeding season
in the Gulf

is the cuttlefish's chance
to really show off.

These are pharaoh cuttlefish.

The larger of this pair
is the male.

He can grow 16 inches long
and weigh up to 11 pounds.

His stocky, oval body -
called a mantle -

and his frilled fin edge

are similar to that of his
close relative, the squid.

Like many other cephalopods,

cuttlefish
can change color...

but they have taken it
to extreme levels.

Their skin is covered
in tiny color-changing cells,

called chromatophores.

This cuttlefish
has a staggering 130,000

of these color-changing cells
per square inch of skin.

These cells enable it to make
these sophisticated changes

in color, tone and pattern.

A large male
shadows a smaller female,

as she swims around the reef.

As he detects
they have company,

he boosts his pattern
and flashes dark spots

as a warning.

This female is his.

He follows her closely.

Raising his eight arms at her

doesn't appear
to attract her attention.

In a split second,

he flexes tiny muscles
under his skin,

to make it stand up.

These projections
are called papillae.

They help him
blend into the coral.

But cuttlefish also use them

during
these courtship displays.

The female can perform
the same tricks,

to also mimic the coral.

The male's efforts
still draw no response.

He raises his game...

..splaying his tentacle arms

in an attention-grabbing
display.

Still nothing.

He switches his color off.

Finally, she responds.

Their arms entwine,

as they lock
in a face-to-face embrace.

The male uses a special arm
called a hectocotylus

to transfer sperm
directly into a cavity

near the female's mouth.

His top two arms
drape over her head,

as he holds on to her.

Cuttlefish can stay
locked together like this

for up to seven minutes
at a time.

If the male
can retain her interest

and protect her
from other males,

they will mate again.

This love match
is not over yet.

Not all cephalopods
like to stand out

when it comes to mating.

Sometimes it's better
to keep a low profile.

This creature
has a disappearing trick.

The dark shape
of a day octopus

can barely be seen
in this coral crevice.

Without a skeleton,

this contortionist
can squeeze itself

into extremely tight places.

Only an eye gives him away.

Day octopuses
tend to breed year round,

but this one has good reason
to avoid attention for now.

Mating can spell disaster
for males.

Female octopuses can
cannibalize their partners,

once they've mated.

If a female comes looking,

this male's vanishing-act
rehearsal

may just save his life.

Like the octopus,

another
of the reef's magicians

also breeds year round.

He can also make himself
invisible.

The seahorse.

This master of disguise

blends perfectly
against the coral wall...

..surrounded
by colorful sea fans.

This is a great seahorse,

one of only two species found

in these enchanting
Arabian waters.

Seahorses are famous
for the male's role

during the breeding season.

When she is ready,
the female deposits her eggs

into his distinct
brood patch,

the smooth area seen here,

on the front of his body.

He fertilizes the eggs
inside his pouch

and carries them for up to
four weeks, as they develop.

Then he gives birth.

He's anchored to a sea fan
by a prehensile tail,

but he's ready
to find a new spot.

He swims upright,
using his dorsal fin

to propel him forward.

This fin can beat
70 times a second,

the same
as a hummingbird's wings.

Tiny pectoral fins
behind his gills

enable him to steer
and maintain stability,

even against
the strong sea current.

Seahorses don't swim well,
so they don't move often.

In his new location, the male
simply floats horizontally,

moving in rhythm
with the current.

A passing predator
may be tricked into seeing it

as just another piece of
coral hanging off the reef.

Above the reef, an enormous
school of small fish

creates the illusion of
a large, impenetrable mass.

But their trick doesn't
guarantee their safety.

These silversides are
important prey for sharks.

They also face attack
from above.

The Damaniyat Islands

lie nine miles
off the coast of Oman.

Sooty gulls and terns

use them to rest on
and hunt from.

They take aim,

trying to pluck out
individuals,

disguised
in the mesmerizing blur.

The fish move, as one,

away from the surface,
to avoid the danger.

Back on the reef,

having established his
territory and found a mate...

..the male cuttlefish

tones down
his elaborate displays...

for now.

The stakes are high.

Cuttlefish,
like all cephalopods,

get just one season
to pass on their genes.

In just a few weeks,
those that mate will die.

This pair makes the most

of their one chance in life
to breed.

Newly matched pairs
mate repeatedly

during their short time
together.

The female
will fertilize her eggs

with the sperm
passed to her from the male.

Females can delay
fertilization

for several days
after mating...

..but this one is ready
to lay immediately.

She tightens her arms up
into a fist-like shape,

to create a chamber
near her mouth.

Here she breaks open
the stored spermatophores

to fertilize her eggs.

The male is eager
to mate again...

..but the female
spurns his colorful advances.

She's looking for a suitable
rock or a coral crevice

to tuck her eggs into.

It must be deep enough

to hide them away
from hungry predators.

She deposits each tiny egg
individually

into the crevice,

as she flutters her long fin
more rapidly,

to control her movement.

Cuttlefish
control their buoyancy

through a porous internal
shell called a cuttlebone.

The pores in the bone
enable the animal

to adjust the volume of air
and water inside its body,

thereby changing its weight
and position in the water.

The male
switches his color off,

as he makes another play
for her attention.

But she is on her own
mission: to lay more eggs.

He has to settle for keeping
a protective eye on her,

a behavior
known as mate guarding.

He can't risk another male
stealing his partner.

He must ensure
that she has only his sperm

to fertilize her eggs.

For now, they are alone in
their Arabian-reef romance...

..but pheromones
released from their eggs

will soon attract
other mature cuttlefish

into a mass spawning event,

increasing their chances
of survival.

In Arabian waters,

the closest relative to the
cuttlefish is the reef squid.

The two
have plenty in common.

The same-shape mantle,

with its magical
color-changing abilities.

The long fringing fin
along its body.

Large eyes.

And the same bilateral
symmetry, or mirror image,

of left and right side.

This one is known
as a bigfin reef squid,

for rather obvious reasons.

These inquisitive magicians
are common in these waters

and are extremely agile.

Like the octopus
and the cuttlefish,

squid change color
and mostly swim backwards.

They do this
using jet propulsion.

The squid contracts
the muscles in its mantle,

to force water through
a funnel known as a hyponome.

The squid adjusts
the position of the funnel...

..located between the head
and mantle,

to change direction.

The faster the contraction,

the faster
the squid can escape danger.

Unlike the cuttlefish,

squid do not have
an internal bone

to control their buoyancy.

Instead, they manipulate
the molecular composition

of their body fluids.

In slow motion...they become
even more mesmerizing.

Some squid
perform elaborate dances

when attracting a mate...

..but the bigfin reef squid
are more subtle.

If two are interested
in each other,

they may swim together
side by side.

This male squid is on guard.

Beneath him,
a female lays their eggs.

But they have company.

A second male loiters nearby.

He may try and mate
with the female.

The guarding male
quickly signals his annoyance

by rapidly changing color.

It's enough to halt
the intruder in his tracks.

He turns the color on

by contracting
his chromatophore muscles,

and relaxes them
to turn it off.

This lack of color

causes his mantle and arms
to turn white.

The intruder
keeps his distance,

but doesn't give up.

Remarkably,
the male is also able

to flash different colors on
different sides of his body.

He shows brown to the female,

to signal
everything is fine,

but flashes silver
to intruders,

to say, "Keep away."

This is known
as silver lateral display.

Pulsing dark blotches
on his arms

and a stripe down his back
reinforce the warning:

"I will defend my mate."

It's enough
to drive his rival away.

Bold patterns,
especially stripes,

serve as a warning
in many animals.

Deadly sea snakes

commonly have banded patterns
to communicate danger.

But this is no serpent.

It's another illusionist.

A harmless banded snake eel,

masquerading
as a toxic sea snake.

The eel has a dorsal fin, but
a real sea snake does not.

This clever deception
is known as Batesian mimicry.

It allows the eel
to trick predators

into believing
it's more deadly than it is,

allowing it to move
confidently around the reef,

as it hunts for small fish
and crustaceans.

The cuttlefish couple
has company.

They're in the midst
of their breeding cycle,

but an intruder is shadowing
their every move.

The male produces
dark stripes on his mantle,

to warn off the rival male.

His opponent may be smaller,

but darkening his own stripes

signals his intention
to get involved.

The male raises his arms
to intimidate his rival...

..as his mate prepares
to lay more eggs.

Females can, and will,
mate with more than one male,

then select
whose sperm to use.

This phenomenon is known
as cryptic female choice.

The male must ensure

she doesn't mate
with anyone else.

He turns on his rival.

He then conjures up his own
silver lateral display -

bold warning stripes
to the right,

calmer sandy brown
to the left -

to reassure the female.

He mustn't let her slip out,
into the arms of his rival.

The intruder may be outsized
and out-striped,

but he's not about
to give up.

As the female
finishes laying...

..her protector
makes his move.

He out-maneuvers his rival...

..but the little guy
is ready.

He touches the larger male.

This is
an uncommon provocation.

The bigger male
sucks water into his body

and stretches his arms even
wider, to appear much bigger.

If he can win this contest
through visual display alone,

he may avoid
a potentially damaging fight.

The smaller rival
backs away...

..but he's not done yet.

The stand-off
lasts several more minutes...

..before the rival
eventually concedes defeat.

The male has won the right
to keep his mate.

His dark head
signals his victory.

Despite
the dazzling displays,

remarkably,
cuttlefish and squid

are almost certainly
color-blind.

Recent scientific research
suggests

that light-sensitive
proteins in their skin

may help them sense
their multi-colored world,

without actually seeing it.

The high contrast of colors
may be enough.

The female squid
seeks a safe place

to finish laying her eggs.

It will be tough
getting past the sea urchins

hiding in this crevice.

Many species of squid

simply release their eggs
into the water,

as most fish do...

..but, like cuttlefish,

these bigfin reef squid

seek to protect theirs
in coral crevices.

Once their first batch
of laying is complete,

the pair simply vanishes
into the blue.

Squid and cuttlefish
can both live at depths

of more than 300 feet.

Down there,
color is less important,

as only blue light
penetrates these depths.

During the breeding season,

they spend more time in the
dazzling shallow reef waters

around the Damaniyat Islands.

But shallow waters bring
shallow-water predators.

Black-spotted butterflyfish
are opportunists.

Cuttlefish eggs
are a nutritious treat...

..if they can reach them
in the tight coral crevices.

The cuttlefish does nothing

to protect her eggs from
the long-snouted predator.

The mouth on the end
then sucks out a hidden egg.

A damselfish
vacuums up the left-overs.

The female cuttlefish

hasn't chosen
the best of hiding places.

The gaps between
the algae-coated branches

expose the cluster of
translucent white egg sacs,

which need 14 days
to develop and hatch.

The persistent butterflyfish
goes back for more,

but another
quickly snatches the egg...

..resulting
in an underwater tug-of-war.

All the cuttlefish can do
is lay again.

There are at least 16 species
of butterflyfish

in Arabian waters.

Black spotteds are the most
common in the Gulf of Oman...

..but they are outshone
by their dazzling relative...

..the Arabian butterflyfish.

They mate for life.

Despite their bright color,

these conspicuous fish
are also masters of illusion.

Their dark tails are mirrored

with dark,
vertical eye bands.

Predators look for eyes
to target their attacks.

Striking the head...

..is a more effective kill
than biting a tail.

If a predator
can't see the eyes,

it's hard to know
what to aim for,

and it may attack
the wrong end...

..giving the butterflyfish
a chance to escape.

Fish are the primary prey
of the cuttlefish.

Here, one prowls the reef
in search of a meal.

This ambush predator

becomes almost invisible in
its preferred hunting ground,

the sea floor.

A cuttlefish
fires out two long tentacles,

lined with suckers,
from beneath its arms,

to catch prey.

A shoal of fusiliers provides
plenty of opportunity.

The fusiliers' best defense
is safety in numbers.

Some fish form schools,

meaning they swim
in the same direction,

maintain an equal distance
between them and move as one.

But other species
form shoals...

..a looser group,

where the fish do not
co-ordinate their movements.

Fusiliers do both.

When hunting,
they will school,

but, more commonly,

they shoal in large numbers,
for safety.

Their twists and turns make
it hard for the cuttlefish

to focus on an individual.

But this master of disguise
bides its time.

It appears
to assess its strike range...

..adjusts its position...

..color and texture.

Success.

Its tentacles
have suckered a fusilier.

Its arms
hold the fish in position

and slowly direct it
into its mouth.

The cuttlefish
devours its prey,

using a hard beak buried
at the base of its arms

and a flesh-scraping tongue.

It's rare to witness
a cuttlefish take its prey.

These magicians more commonly
hunt in these shallows

under the cover of darkness.

Octopuses will also grab fish
swimming above them.

A dark, almost invisible head

protrudes
just above the coral hideout.

A spinecheek hovers
unwittingly above him.

The octopus
remains perfectly still,

as a large grouper points
to the lurking predator.

But it's too big
to be at risk.

Smaller chromis
dart overhead,

oblivious to the potential
danger beneath them.

Now you see him,
now you don't.

The octopus
is back in his den,

with only an eye visible.

One chromis brushes its tail
against the octopus,

as it attempts
to court a female nearby.

This kind of mistake
could prove fatal...

but octopuses usually prefer
slower-moving prey,

like crustaceans...

or even a great seahorse.

Like the octopus,

the seahorse
is an ambush predator.

It can capture a staggering
90% of its targeted prey,

when sea conditions are calm.

Its long snout and wide mouth

enable it
to suck up tiny crustaceans.

This is a female.

Once her eggs
are with the male,

she plays no further role
in raising their young.

She's not feeding,

but she opens and closes
her mouth,

to pump oxygenated water in

and push carbon dioxide out,

through gills
behind her eyes.

Her best trick is the ability

to move each orbital eye
independently,

giving her the power
of almost 360-degree vision.

Her bony exoskeleton
has protruding appendages,

known as cirri,

which add
to her coral-like camouflage.

A fine coating of algae
completes the look,

giving the seahorse
a protective cloak

of near-invisibility

against a passing
predatory moray eel.

A female hawksbill turtle
is also out hunting.

She appears to know exactly
what she's looking for.

Sea turtles have good
eyesight underwater,

but they also have
an acute sense of smell,

for detecting prey.

Hawksbills most commonly
eat sponges in these waters,

but, at this time of year,

there's a different protein
treasure to find.

She arrives
at a large clump of coral

and immediately
works her magic.

Her sharp, hawk-like beak
is exceptionally strong.

Presto! Cuttlefish eggs.

The eggs
are in small clusters,

making them easily removable.

Wrasse and damselfish are
ready to grab any left-overs.

She uses her flippers
to gain purchase,

as she tears the eggs
from the coral.

These eggs are more developed

than the butterflyfish's
earlier snack.

The turtle
can no longer reach

the rest of the treasure.

The eggs were a good meal
for both the turtle

and the hungry fish...

..but enough remain intact
under the coral to hatch.

As summer begins to tighten
its grip on the Gulf,

temperatures above
and below water are rising.

It's now June.

The cuttlefish breeding
season is well underway...

..and competition
is getting fierce.

Time is running out.

Across the reef, pheromones,

released
from the cuttlefish eggs

and drifting
on the sea currents,

entice others to start

their once-in-a-lifetime
chance to breed.

Couples pair up
and establish bonds

for their own
brief encounters.

The waters are teeming
with protective males,

with bold blue stripes...

..each closely guarding
a female

who could ensure
his genetic legacy.

In amongst the melee
of large characters,

smaller males
try to get in on the action.

These so-called
"sneaker males"

have a few tricks
of their own to play.

Sneaker males
tone down their color,

to create the illusion
of being female,

to get past the bolder,
protective males.

Having already successfully
seen off his rivals,

the male cuttlefish
and his mate

now have trouble
of a different kind.

It seems the egg-laying pair

has strayed
into the territory

of a damselfish...

..and he's not about
to tolerate their presence

on his patch.

Damselfish are notorious
for taking on intruders,

no matter how big
or how many there are.

His best line of defense
is attack.

The cuttlefish
may struggle to magic himself

out of this tricky
situation...

..and now
there's double trouble.

A sneaker male
loiters nearby.

If the sneaker male
can take advantage

of the damselfish
distraction,

he might be able
to inseminate the female

right under the tentacles
of the big male.

The big male
can't shake the damselfish.

The sneaker makes his move.

Now the male
is alert to the danger.

The sneaker male
wasn't sneaky enough.

By keeping others at bay,

the bigger male ensures his
partner lays her last eggs,

carrying only his genes.

Across the reef, males and
females mate and lay eggs

in the dying days
of the short,

but intense breeding season.

A cuttlebone
is all that remains

of one adult cuttlefish.

Evidence of what will become
of this year's mated couples.

Females each lay
approximately 1,600 eggs

during a spawning season.

Some will fall prey
to predators...

..but enough will survive,
to ensure the next generation

of these extraordinary
magicians of the reef.

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