| Sepia bertheloti | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Sepiida |
| Family: | Sepiidae |
| Genus: | Sepia |
| Subgenus: | Sepia |
| Species: | S. bertheloti |
| Binomial name | |
| Sepia bertheloti | |
| Synonyms | |
Sepia bertheloti, the African cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish from the family Sepiidae which is found in the warmer waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Africa.
Sepia bertheloti grows to a mantle length of 175mm in males and 134mm in females. The dorsal anterior mantle margin forms a triangular lobe between the eyes. The wide fines have a wide gap between them at the rear. The males have a hectocotylus on the left ventral arm and this has one or two rows of normal size suckers at the base, nine to thirteen rows of highly shrunken suckers in the middle part of the arm; these suckers are arranged in two dorsal and two ventral series which are laterally displaced and are separated by a gap. The suckers on the hectocotylus are covered by a well developed dorsal protective membrane. The tentacular club is straight and slender having five or six suckers in transverse rows in which a number of the suckers of the inner two or three rows are larger than rest. The cuttlebone is oblong in shape, outline roughly rectangular; tapering to a point anteriorly and rounded and blunt posteriorly. Its dorsal surface is evenly convex and covered with a sculpture of calcareous granulose arranged in a net like pattern which have their greatest concentration in the middle of the bone and at the long edges where they are arranged in irregular ridges parallel to the margin. The bone is most calcified at the rear and there is an indistinct dorsal median rib which broadens slightly towards the head end. The lateral and anterior margins of the cuttlebone are covered in chitin. On the dorsal part of the mantle there are a series of elongate papillae on either flank, situated around halfway along the base of the fins. It is purplish brown in colour with a zebra-like striping on the arms and an orange-red pigmented stripe which runs along their outer surface. The dorsal mantle has small spots, mainly towards the rear, and narrow, cream-coloured, broken lines running across it. The fins are pale and in the males there is a thin, shiny orange-pink stripe along the fin base of males which is bordered by a purplish band and one or two rows of many short bars which run along it. [3]
Sepia bertheloti occurs along the western coast of Africa from Western Sahara south to Angola, it is also found off the Canary Islands. [1]
Sepia bertheloti is found at depths of between 20m and 156m, [3] being most numerous off the Canary Islands from depths of 70m-140m. [1] At the Endeavour Bank they migrate to shallower waters on order to spawn in the summer and autumn. Their size distribution, as measured from animals caught by fisheries, shows a wider variation than for the sympatric Sepia officinalis during the summer. [3] This wider variation suggests that either the spawning season is extended or at least some spawning happens continuously. [1]
Sepia bertheloti is fished for by trawling off the Canary Islands and is commonly captured off the western Endeavour Bank. [1] Catches are often mixed with Sepia hierredda and separate data is difficult to get, although data from Spanish trawlers off Western Sahara indicate that this species makes up 11% of the cuttlefish catch and the remaining 89% is S. hieradda. [3] There are also fisheries for this species in Mauritania and Senegal. [1]
The specific name honours the French malacologist Sabin Berthelot (1794-1880) who was French consul at Tenerife. [4] The type specimen was taken off Tenerife [3] and is held in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. [5]
The paintpot cuttlefish is a small, poorly researched species of cuttlefish found in the Indo-Pacific, between Japan and Hong Kong. It is one of the two species classified in the genus Metasepia. Metasepia cuttlefish are characterized by their small, thick, diamond-shaped cuttlebone, and distinctive body coloration.
Metasepia pfefferi, also known as the flamboyant cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish occurring in tropical Indo-Pacific waters off northern Australia, southern New Guinea, as well as numerous islands of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Sepia latimanus, also known as the broadclub cuttlefish, is widely distributed from the Andaman Sea, east to Fiji, and south to northern Australia. It is the most common cuttlefish species on coral reefs, living at a depth of up to 30 m.
The common cuttlefish or European common cuttlefish 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. They grow to 49 centimetres (19 in) in mantle length and 4 kilograms (8.8 lb) in weight. Animals from subtropical seas are smaller and rarely exceed 30 centimetres (12 in) in mantle length.
Sepia mestus, also known as the reaper cuttlefish or red cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish native to the southwestern Pacific Ocean, specifically Escape Reef off Queensland to Murrays Beach off Jervis Bay. Reports of this species from China and Vietnam are now known to be misidentifications. S. mestus lives at a depth of between 0 and 22 m.
Sepia novaehollandiae is a species of cuttlefish native to the southern Indo-Pacific. Its natural range stretches from Shellharbour, New South Wales to North West Shelf in Western Australia. It lives at depths of between 15 and 348 m.
Sepia australis, the southern cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish which is found in the eastern South Atlantic Ocean and the western Indian Ocean off the coasts of Southern Africa, possibly extending into the waters off East Africa.
Sepia hedleyi, or Hedley's cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish in the family Sepiidae, endemic to subtropical and temperate waters off Australia.
Sepia tuberculata is a species of cuttlefish native to South African waters from Melkbosstrand to Knysna. It belongs to the genus Sepia. It lives in very shallow water to a depth of 3 m. It is endemic.
Sepiola atlantica, also known as the Atlantic bobtail, is a species of bobtail squid native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Sepia zanzibarica, or the Zanzibar cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish native to the Indian Ocean.
Sepiella inermis is a species of cuttlefish in the family Sepiidae. S. inermis is indigenous to the Indo-Pacific region. In this region, Sepiella inermis is an economically important species, and is sold and eaten.
Sepia prashadi, common name hooded cuttlefish, is a widely distributed species of cuttlefish. It has a thin, oval body and grows from 5 to 11 cm. The tips of the tentacles have a distinct club shape. S. prashadi is a migratory, demersal cuttlefish living in shallow waters at depths of approximately 40 to 50 metres. It is found in many locations including the east coast of Africa, around India, in the Red Sea, and Persian Gulf.
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 Lawrence Bragg. Sepia braggi was then described by Sir Joseph Cooke Verco in 1907.Sepia braggi is part of the subgenus Doratosepion which contains to 41 species of cuttlefish in total.
Sepia elegans, the elegant cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish in the family Sepiidae from the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is an important species for fisheries in some parts of the Mediterranean where its population may have suffered from overfishing.
Euprymna morsei, the Mimika bobtail squid, is a species of Indo-Pacific bobtail squid from the family Sepiolidae.
Sepia orbignyana, the pink cuttlefish, is a species of small cuttlefish from the family Sepiidae. It is occurs in the temperate and tropical waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Sepia hierredda, the giant African cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish from the family Sepiidae, which was previously considered conspecific with the common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis. It is found along the western coast of Africa and is an important species to fisheries.
Sepia cultrata, commonly known as the knifebone cuttlefish or elongated cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish from the family Sepiidae endemic to the southern Indo-Pacific. It is a deepwater species found in subtropical and temperate Australian waters.
Sepia lycidas, commonly known as the kisslip cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish within the genus Sepia. They are also classified under the family Sepiidae, which encompasses some of the most commonly known and recognized cuttlefish. Phylogenetically, this species of cuttlefish is most closely related to Sepia aculeata, Sepia esculenta, and Sepia pharaonis. This species is typically reddish brown to purple in color, with patches and stripes present on their dorsal mantle. On average, they grow to be about 38 cm in length and weigh 5 kg at maximum. The kisslip cuttlefish can be found mainly within the Indo-West Pacific, at depths ranging from 15–100 meters. Additionally, this species exhibits many diverse, complex reproductive behaviors; for example, courting, mating displays, and mate competition. Other interesting behaviors includes their feeding and hunting methods, which entails turning towards a preferred direction to "jump on" and engulf their prey of small fish and crustaceans. Sepia lycidas has many human uses and is important in the economy of many Southeast Asian countries, especially since they are often eaten for their high nutritional value. They are also currently being studied as an alternative source of collagen for human use, since their thick outer skin contain high levels of collagen that goes to waste when they are eaten or caught as bycatch.
