An experimental ecological method was used to examine the formation of social hierarchy and its effect on the behavior and energy metabolism of Sepia esculenta during the breeding process. We determined the activities of hexokinase (HK), pyruvate kinase (PK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), citrate synthase (CS), as well as the concentration of lactic acid (LD) in the gonads and wrist muscle of both sexes. The results showed that there were significant differences in the behavioral phenotypes between male and female with the same social hierarchy level. The time spent on swimming and fighting was significantly higher in the dominant males than that in the submissive males. For the females, the time spent on resting was significantly elevated in the dominant animals than that in the submissive individuals. Contrarily, the significantly lower time spent on swimming was observed in the dominant females compared with that in the submissive females. For the dominant males, anaerobic metabolism process produced energy for fighting and aerobic metabolism process produced energy for swimming. The activities of key enzymes in anaerobic metabolism (PK, HK, LDH) in the muscles of dominant males were significantly higher than those of submissive individuals (P < 0.05). Similar results were true for the activities of key enzymes in aerobic metabolism (MDH, CS). However, these enzyme activities did not differ significantly among dominant females and submissive females (P > 0.05). During the breeding period, the females allowed energy to be used more efficiently for the spawning and reproduction due to the reduction of time spent on exercise, which evidenced by the increased activities of MDH and CS in gonads and the decreased activities of those enzymes in muscles. There was a significant correlation between behavioral phenotype and energy metabolism, since the time spent on swimming was positively correlated with the activities of MDH and CS (P < 0.001) and the time spent on fighting was positively correlated with the PK, HK and LDH activities, and LD concentration (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the energy is preferentially used for exercise in males compared with females in the higher social hierarchy. Females in the higher social hierarchy are more likely to remain dormant to allow energy to be used more efficiently for reproduction. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for the large-scale breeding of healthy S. esculenta and reproduction technology in the spawning period.