''Ascarosepion novaehollandiae'' is a species of
cuttlefish
Cuttlefish, or cuttles, are Marine (ocean), marine Mollusca, molluscs of the order (biology), suborder Sepiina. They belong to the class (biology), class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique ...
native to the southern
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...
. Its natural range stretches from
Shellharbour
Shellharbour (also known as Shellharbour Village) is a suburb located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It also gives its name to the local government area, City of Shellharbour, and its central business district, Shellha ...
,
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
() to
Northwest Shelf in
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
(). It lives at depths of between 15 and 348 m.
[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.]
Description
The
type specimen
In biology, a type is a particular wikt:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to ancho ...
was collected off
Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island (, ) is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island, Northern Territory, Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its closest point to the mainland is Snapper Poi ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
(). It is deposited at the
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
The French National Museum of Natural History ( ; abbr. MNHN) is the national natural history museum of France and a of higher education part of Sorbonne University. The main museum, with four galleries, is located in Paris, France, within the Ja ...
in Paris.
Current Classification of Recent Cephalopoda
/ref> The species was described by Hoyle in 1909.
''Ascarosepion novaehollandiae'' is known to grow to a mantle length of 77 mm,
Spencer Gulf population
Specimens collected from Spencer Gulf
The Spencer Gulf is the westernmost and larger of two large inlets (the other being Gulf St Vincent) on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, facing the Great Australian Bight. It spans from the Cape Catastrophe an ...
in South Australia have mantle lengths and weights "rarely exceeding" 125 mm and 521 grams respectively. The mantle is oblong with narrow lateral fins running along its length. Specimens are brown, with small white blotches speckled on the mantle. There are no discernible patterns on the arms. In 2015, South Australian Research and Development Institute
The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) is the principal research institute of the Government of South Australia, with a network of research centres, laboratories and field sites both in metropolitan Adelaide and throughou ...
(SARDI) scientist Mike Steer further described the species' cuttlebone as follows:
"Sepions are elongate oval, acutely narrowing at both ends. The posterior dorsal surface typically has a pinkish tinge and is covered with fine denticulate projections that diminish anteriorly. The ribs are sharply concentric and become more pronounced anteriorly. The rostrum appears as a prominent spike that projects on a slight dorsal angle. The striated zone of the ventral surface is long extending greater than two-thirds of the length of the sepion. The striae are broadly V-shaped and are wavy across the mid-groove. The median sulcus is wide and deep along the striated zone. The outer cone slightly scallops inwards before expanding posteriorly."
Biology
Fishery dependent and independent data from Spencer Gulf has shown that largest populations of sexually immature ''A. novaehollandiae'' are caught between February and May annually. No data was published for months July–October or January.
Fisheries interactions
The species is not targeted commercially in South Australia but is caught in marine scalefish fisheries and as bycatch by trawl fisheries. Morphological similarities and overlapping geographical ranges have led to difficulties distinguishing S. novaehollandiae from juvenile Ascarosepion apama in some instances. The Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery catches more individuals of ''A. novaehollandiae'' than either of the other cuttlefish bycatch species: Sepia apama and Sepia braggi
''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, Lawrence Bragg ...
.
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3826791
Cuttlefish
Fauna of Western Australia
Molluscs described in 1909
Taxa named by William Evans Hoyle