Ascarosepion mestus

Reaper cuttlefish | Sepia mestus
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus, Jervis Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus, Jervis Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus, Jervis Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus, Jervis Bay, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus, NSW, Australia, Photo: Tom Davis
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus, Sydney, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
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Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus
Ascarosepion mestus

Distribution

Temperate Australasia


Description

Although the red cuttle has often been seen by divers, its specific identity remained unknown until recently. Sepia mestus characteristically has a red body with dark blotches towards the back of the upper surface and yellow colouration around the eye. It is moderately common in estuaries and along the open coast of NSW.

Current literature suggests that A. mestus cannot be confidently differentiated from Sepia grahami using in-situ observations, so RLS records of A. mestus may also encompass Sepia grahami


Information

Max Size: N/A cm

Sea Temperature Range: 15.5-26.2°C

Depth: 1-300m

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Occurrence: Common (21.2% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney