''Sepioteuthis australis'', commonly known as the southern calamari or the southern reef squid, is a species of reef squid that is native to oceans off the coast of Australia and New Zealand. This species is caught commercially by trawling, as

bycatch Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juve ...

in the prawn fishing industry and by recreational anglers.

Description

The maximum length of this squid is about , with a maximum weight of around . The mantle is robust and tapers bluntly to a point. The eight arms have three rings of suckers with up to thirty hooks, and the two tentacles have long clubs with moderate-sized suckers and further hooks around the suckers. The diamond-shaped fins, which extend for almost the whole length of the mantle are widest in the middle, and are more than half as wide as they are long. The colour of this squid in life is semi-transparent, but if caught and removed from the sea, it will soon change to a uniform orangish-brown or rust colour. The base of the fin has a white or bluish luminescent streak.

Distribution and habitat

The southern reef squid is native to the subtropical Indo-Pacific region where it is found between 16°S and 42°S, and between 112°E and 179°E. It is a benthopelagic species with a depth range between . It occurs in southern Australia, its range extending from the Ningaloo Coast 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 ...

along the south coast as far as

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

and the

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...

, as well as around

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

in New Zealand. Typical habitats include sandy areas,

seagrass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine (ocean), marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four Family (biology), families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and ...

beds and reefs.

Ecology

This squid is mainly nocturnal and often forms small groups. It feeds on crustaceans and small fish and is itself preyed on by larger fish. If attacked, it can emit a cloud of purple ink and escape while the water is opaque. It is a common species and is of interest to fisheries over much of its range. It is caught commercially by trawling, and is also taken as

in the prawn fishing industry and by recreational anglers using trolled jigs over

seagrass meadow A seagrass meadow or seagrass bed is an underwater ecosystem formed by seagrasses. Seagrasses are marine (saltwater) plants found in shallow coastal waters and in the brackish waters of estuaries. Seagrasses are flowering plants with stems and ...

s. Breeding takes place at different times of year in different parts of the range; there is typically an annual cycle, with the lifespan being about a year. Courtship occurs with males displaying to females, and males are antagonistic towards other males at this time. While a male is jostling and trying to drive off an interloper, "sneaker" males often get a chance to approach the female and copulate by depositing a spermatophore in her mantle cavity. When the female spawns, the egg strand most commonly contains eggs fertilized by three different males. Each strand typically consists of six to nine eggs and is attached to seaweed or seagrass fronds. Sometimes aggregations of hundreds of eggs occur with many females spawning at one site.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2683313 Loliginidae Cephalopods described in 1832 Molluscs of New Zealand Cephalopods of Australia