Sepia officinalis

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names
English : Common cuttlefish
French : Seiche commune

Classification
Class : Cephalopoda
Order : Sepiida
Family : Sepiidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Elongated oval-shaped body, reaching a length of 45 cm. Head with big eyes with W-shaped pupil and 8 short tentacles. Coloration variable but usually grey to beige, sometimes with wavy dark lines on flanks (for males).

Range and habitat
Eastern Atlantic Ocean from Baltic Sea to South Africa, also occurs in Mediterranean sea. Occurs over muddy and sandy bottoms, sometimes in marine grasslands and rocky bottoms, sometimes amongst algae, down to depths of 200 meters.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not listed
Status : The species has a huge range and remains locally common but may be overexploited in some areas such as Mediterranean sea.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

Back to “Mollusks, Leeches and Worms” page