Sepia mestus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Cephalopoda |
Order: | Sepiida |
Family: | Sepiidae |
Genus: | Sepia |
Subgenus: | Sepia |
Species: | S. mestus
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Binomial name | |
Sepia mestus | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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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) to Murrays Beach off Jervis Bay (35°08′S 150°46′E / 35.133°S 150.767°E). 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]