FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Sepiidae 729
6a. Cuttlebone outline narrow, lanceolate (Fig. 16a) . . . . . → 7
[includes Sepia mira, until recently known only from cuttlebone; see
species account to follow]
6b. Cuttlebone outline moderate to broad, oval (Fig. 16b) . . → 11
[includes Sepia bartletti, status uncertain, known only from the type and
6 other specimens reported by Iredale (1954) from Misima and the
Conflict Group of Islands, Louisiade Archipelago, southeast of Papua
New Guinea; see species account to follow]
7a. Tentacular club with 5 or 6 suckers in transverse rows . . → 8
7b. Tentacular club with 8 suckers in transverse rows . . .→10 8a. Arms I to IV of females with biserial suckers proximally
and at extreme distal tips, remaining suckers
tetraserial; male arms I to IV with biserial suckers
on the proximal third and at distal tips, remaining
suckers enlarged, tetraserial; male arms III protective
membranes thickened with alternating transverse
ridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sepia cottoni
8b. Arms I to III of females with tetraserial suckers proximally
and biserial suckers distally, female arms IV with
tetraserial suckers; male arms I to III with tetraserial
suckers proximally and biserial suckers distally,
male arms IV with tetraserial suckers; male arms III
protective membranes not thickened . . . . . . . . . . . → 9
9a. Arms III of males greatly elongate; hectocotylus absent;
club suckers differ markedly in size (Fig. 17a) . . Sepia braggi 1/
9b. Arms III of males not greatly elongate; hectocotylus
present; club suckers differ only slightly in size
(Fig. 17b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sepia vietnamica
10a. Arms II of males greatly elongate,
3 times longer than other
arms (Fig. 18); male arms II
with tetraserial suckers proximally,
biserial suckers at distal
tips; left ventral hectocotylized
arm (IV) with approximately 10
rows of normal suckers proximally,
then remaining suckers
reduced to tip of arm; club suckers
differ markedly in size
male
arms II
greatly
elongate
(Fig. 19a) . . . . . . . Sepia andreana
10b. Male arms all of similar length;
male arm suckers all tetraserial;
left ventral hectocotylized arm
(IV) with approximately 9 to 12
rows of normal suckers proximally,
followed by 8 to 10 rows
of reduced suckers, then rest
normal to tip of arm; club suckers
differ only slightly in size
(Fig. 19b). . . . . . . . Sepia kobiensis
I
II
head and anterior mantle
of male (dorsal view)
Fig. 18 Sepia
andreana
III
IV
a) lanceolate
(Sepia braggi)
b) oval
(Sepia apama)
Fig. 16 cuttlebone (ventral view)
(illustration: K. Hollis/ABRS)
a) Sepia braggi
b) Sepia vietnamica
Fig. 17 tentacular club
a) Sepia andreana b) Sepia kobiensis
Fig. 19 tentacular club
1/ Until recently believed to occur in the Western Central Pacific. See footnote on species account to follow (p. 739).