Biology/Natural History: The sixth pair of suckers is enlarged on all but the ventral arm of males. Male hectocotylus is conspicuous, about 1/10 the length of the 3rd right arm, where it is located (photo). The ink is reddish or red-brown. The larvae have a double row of chromatophores on each arm (E. dofleini has only 1 row/arm). Adults eat crustaceans, mollusks, and fishes. They especially seem to prefer to eat small crabs and hermit crabs. Females guard egg clusters intertidally or shallow subtidally from late spring through early winter in rocky areas. Peaks in breeding are in August and September. Young hatch in 6-8 weeks, spend a brief period in the plankton, and settle as juveniles in the kelp beds. Larger individuals migrate farther offshore on sandy mud bottoms. They mate in deep water in late spring, then move inshore again. They ae often found in prawn traps.