Sepia officinalis Linnaeus, 1758
Common cuttlefish
Sepia officinalis
photo by Coudre, Christian

Family:  Sepiidae (cuttlefishes)
Max. size:  49 cm ML (male/unsexed); max.weight: 4,000.0 g
Environment:  benthic; marine; depth range 0 - 242 m
Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean: from the Shetlands and southern Norway (stray in the Baltic Sea), south to the Mediterranean Sea to northwestern Africa.
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  In temperate waters, maximum mantle length is 49 cm and up to 4 kg in weight. In the subtropics, maximum mantle length is 30 cm and up to 2 kg in weight (Ref. 1695). Common size: 15.0 to 25.0 cm (West Saharan fisheries; Ref. 275). One of the most important species for cephalopod fisheries in many countries but have been observed in recent years that it is heavily fished, e.g., Mediterranean (Ref. 1695). Also, a highly valued item especially in Japan, Korea, Italy and Spain (Ref. 1695). Maximum depth range from Ref. 114857.
IUCN Red List Status: (LC); Date assessed: 15 March 2009 Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans: 
Country info:  Previous occurrence recorded from map (Ref. 275, p. 48) is not confirmed by Ref. 1695. M: Refs. 275, 1695.

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