Sepia mestus

Sepia mestus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Sepiida
Family: Sepiidae
Genus: Sepia
Subgenus: Sepia
Species:
S. mestus
Binomial name
Sepia mestus
Gray, 1849[2]
Synonyms[2]

Sepia mestus, also known as the reaper cuttlefish or red cuttlefish,[3] is a species of cuttlefish native to the southwestern Pacific Ocean, specifically Escape Reef off Queensland (15°47′S 145°47′E / 15.783°S 145.783°E / -15.783; 145.783) to Murrays Beach off Jervis Bay (35°08′S 150°46′E / 35.133°S 150.767°E / -35.133; 150.767). Reports of this species from China and Vietnam are now known to be misidentifications.[clarification needed] S. mestus lives at a depth of between 0 and 22 m.[4]

Sepia mestus exhibits sexual dimorphism. Females grow to a mantle length (ML) of 124 mm, while males do not exceed 77 mm ML.[4]

The type specimen was collected off the Australian coast and is deposited at The Natural History Museum in London.[5]

  1. ^ Barratt, I.; Allcock, L. (2012). "Sepia mestus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T162642A934873. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T162642A934873.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Julian Finn (2016). "Sepia mestus Gray, 1849". World Register of Marine Species. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  3. ^ "The Reaper Cuttlefish - Whats That Fish!". www.whatsthatfish.com. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  4. ^ a b 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.
  5. ^ Current Classification of Recent Cephalopoda