Common cuttlefish

This article is about the European common cuttlefish. For the South African common cuttlefish, see Sepia vermiculata.

Common cuttlefish
Common cuttlefish in Arrábida Natural Park, Portugal
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Sepiida
Family: Sepiidae
Genus: Sepia
Subgenus: Sepia
Species:
S. officinalis
Binomial name
Sepia officinalis
Synonyms
  • Sepia rugosa Bowdich, 1822
  • Sepia vicellius Gray, 1849
  • Sepia zebrina Risso, 1854
  • Sepia filliouxi Lafont, 1869
  • ?Sepia fischeri Lafont, 1871
  • Sepia officinalis mediterranea Ninni, 1884
  • ?Sepia veranyi P. Fischer in Lagatu, 1888
Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

The common cuttlefish or European common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is one of the largest and best-known cuttlefish species. They are a migratory species that spend the summer and spring inshore for spawning and then move to depths of 100–200 metres (330–660 ft) during autumn and winter.[2] They grow to 49 centimetres (19 in) in mantle length and 4 kilograms (8.8 lb) in weight.[3] Animals from subtropical seas are smaller and rarely exceed 30 centimetres (12 in) in mantle length.[4]

The common cuttlefish is native to at least the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, and Baltic Sea, although subspecies have been proposed as far south as South Africa. It lives on sand and mud seabeds and it can tolerate brackish water conditions.[5][6]

  1. ^ Barratt, I.; Allcock, L. (2012). "Sepia officinalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T162664A939991. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T162664A939991.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Compton, A; Wiley, L. "Sepia officinalis". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Roper C.F.E., M.J. Sweeney & C.E. Nauen (1984). Cephalopods of the world. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy. Vol. 3, p. 277.
  5. ^ Helmut Debelius (1994). Marine Atlas: The Joint Aquarium Care of Invertebrates and Tropical Marine Fishes. Vol. 3. Mergus. p. 798. ISBN 9783882440553.
  6. ^ "Ecology Summary - Sepia officinalis". sealifebase.ca. Retrieved 10 December 2023.