''Sepia novaehollandiae'' is a species of

cuttlefish Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...

native to the southern

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. Its natural range stretches from

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New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

() to

North West Shelf The North West Shelf is a continental shelf region of Western Australia. It includes an extensive petroleum, oil and natural gas, gas region off the North West Australia coast in the Pilbara region. Geology Considerable parts of the region are t ...

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(). It lives at depths of between 15 and 348 m.Reid, A., P. Jereb, & C.F.E. Roper 2005. Family Sepiidae. ''In:'' P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper, eds. ''Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae)''. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 4, Vol. 1. Rome, FAO. pp. 57–152.

Description

The

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was collected off

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South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

(). It is deposited at the

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.Current Classification of Recent Cephalopoda
/ref> The species was described by Hoyle in 1909. ''Sepia novaehollandiae'' is known to grow to a mantle length of 77 mm, but specimens from Spencer Gulf reach mantle lengths of around 125 mm and larger specimens of cuttlebones reaching lengths of 170 mm have also been found.

Spencer Gulf population

Specimens collected from

Spencer Gulf The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost and larger of two large inlets (the other being Gulf St Vincent) on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe and ...

in South Australia have mantle lengths and weights "rarely exceeding" 125 mm and 521 grams respectively. The mantle is oblong with narrow lateral fins running along its length. Specimens are brown, with small white blotches speckled on the mantle. There are no discernible patterns on the arms. In 2015,

South Australian Research and Development Institute The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) is the principal research institute of the Government of South Australia, with a network of research centres, laboratories and field sites both in metropolitan Adelaide and through ...

(SARDI) scientist Mike Steer further described the species' cuttlebone as follows: "Sepions are elongate-oval, acutely narrowing at both ends. The posterior dorsal surface typically has a pinkish tinge and is covered with fine denticulate projections that diminish anteriorly. The ribs are sharply concentric and become more pronounced anteriorly. The rostrum appears as a prominent spike that projects on a slight dorsal angle. The striated zone of the ventral surface is long extending greater than two-thirds of the length of the sepion. The striae are broadly "V"-shaped and are wavy across the mid-groove. The median sulcus is wide and deep along the striated zone. The outer cone slightly scallops inwards before expanding posteriorly."

Biology

Fishery dependent and independent data from Spencer Gulf has shown that largest populations of sexually immature Sepia novaehollandiae are caught between February and May annually. No data was published for months July–October or January.

Fisheries interactions

The species is not targeted commercially in South Australia but is caught in marine scalefish fisheries and as bycatch by trawl fisheries. Morphological similarities and overlapping geographical ranges have led to difficulties distinguishing S. novaehollandiae from juvenile

Sepia apama Giant cuttlefish also known as the Australian giant cuttlefish (scientific name ''Sepia apama''), is the world's largest cuttlefish species, growing to in mantle length and up to in total length (total length meaning the whole length of the ...

in some instances. The Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery catches more individuals of Sepia novaehollandiae than either of the other cuttlefish bycatch species: Sepia apama and

Sepia braggi ''Sepia braggi,'' the slender cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean. It has been found in coastal waters of southern Australia. This species was first collected in South Australia by its namesake, William Lawren ...

References

External links

Cuttlefish Fauna of Western Australia Molluscs described in 1909 Taxa named by William Evans Hoyle {{cuttlefish-stub