Australian Giant Cuttlefish

Taxobox
name = Australian Giant Cuttlefish


image_caption = Lithographic proof from
"Prodromus of Zoology".
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Cephalopoda
ordo = Sepiida
familia = Sepiidae
genus = "Sepia"
subgenus = "Sepia"
species = "S. apama"
binomial = "Sepia apama"
binomial_authority = Gray, 1849
synonyms =
*"Sepia palmata"
Owen, 1881
*"Amplisepia verreauni"
Iredale, 1926
*"Amplisepia parysatis"
Iredale, 1954

The Australian Giant Cuttlefish, "Sepia apama", is the world's largest cuttlefish species, growing to 50 cm in mantle length and over 10.5 kg in weight. [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.]

"S. apama" is native to the southern coast of Australia, from Brisbane in Queensland to Shark Bay in Western Australia. It occurs on rocky reefs, seagrass beds, and sand and mud seafloor to a depth of 100 m. [Norman, M.D. 2000. "Cephalopods: A World Guide". ConchBooks.]

Reproduction

Breeding takes place with the onset of the southern winter. Males abandon their normal cryptic colouring and set out to dazzle the females by adopting rapidly changing bright colours and striking patterns. Devious males mimic female colouring and form in order to gain access to females protected by dominant males. Death follows shortly after mating and laying of eggs that will spawn the next generation.

Physiology and biochemistry

A recent energetics study found that "Sepia apama" are primarily diurnal and have a small home range (90-550 meters) over short recording periods. They are able to channel most of their energy directly into growth because they spend 95% of the day resting, suggesting bioenergetics more like that of an octopus than a squid. Very little time is spent foraging (3.7% during the day and 2.1% during the night), most of their time is spent resting and hiding in crevices from predators. The exception to this behavioral routine is the mass spawning aggregation, where cuttlefish are far more active during the days or weeks that they spend there. [Hanlon, R.T. 2008. [http://www.eol.org/taxa/16486539?category_id=194 Australian Giant Cuttlefish - Physiology and Biochemistry] . Encyclopedia of Life.] [Aitken, J.P., R.K. O'Dor & G.D. Jackson. 2005. The secret life of the giant Australian cuttlefish "Sepia apama" (Cephalopoda): Behaviour and energetics in nature revealed through radio acoustic positioning and telemetry (RAPT). "Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology" 320: 77–91.]

ee also

* Cephalopod size

References

External links

*eol|16486539
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/3074.shtml BBC: Giant cuttlefish]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRXoFrjjfco Video of "Sepia apama"] at YouTube