Sepiadarium austrinum, the southern bottletail squid,[1][2] is a species of cuttlefish[3] in the genus Sepiadarium.[4] It was first described by S. Stillman Berry in 1921[3] based on a specimen found in St. Vincent Bay in South Australia.[5]
| Sepiadarium austrinum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Sepiida |
| Family: | Sepiadariidae |
| Genus: | Sepiadarium |
| Species: | S. austrinum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Sepiadarium austrinum Berry, 1921
| |
Description edit
S. austrinum is very small and round, with kidney-shaped fins on the back third of its body.[6] It has a mantle length of up to three centimeters[3] and a total length of up to four centimeters.[2] It can be transparent, yellow, or orange, with egg-shaped white leucophores.[3] S. austrinum has ten arms and tentacles[6] with nine or ten rows of suckers on each arm.[3]
Distribution edit
S. austrinum is found in the southern Indo-Pacific[3] in southern Australia,[6] with a small population in the Spencer Gulf.[2] They are mostly found in sandy habitats in shallow,[6] sheltered waters[2] at depths up to 65 meters.[6]
Behavior edit
S. austrinum buries itself in the sand during the day and feeds at night.[6] It is able to produce slime[3] when threatened.[1]
Diet edit
S. austrinum is carnivorous.[7] It feeds in the sand and near seagrass beds.[6] Its diet is mostly composed of small fish and crustaceans, including amphipods[3] and especially benthic isopods.[2]
Reproduction edit
S. austrinum reproduce from a young age;[3] immature females can also store sperm.[2] Individuals mate with multiple partners. Mating is initiated by males and there is no observed courtship behavior.[8] Males pass sperm packages to the female, who stores them in a pouch below her mouth. Males can also use a special arm to remove the sperm of other males from the pouch.[2] Females can also remove sperm from the pouch,[8] and regularly consume spermatophores.[9] They fertilize eggs by passing them over the pouch.[8] Clumps of eggs[6] are covered in sand and attached to seaweed or seagrass.[3]
Life cycle edit
S. austrinum is an annual species.[8] Juveniles settle quickly after hatching.[3]
Relationship to humans edit
S. austrinum survives well in aquariums, which may make them of commercial interest.[3] They may bite when handled.[7]
References edit
- ^ a b Caruana, Nikeisha J.; Strugnell, Jan M.; Faou, Pierre; Finn, Julian; Cooke, Ira R. (2019-03-01). "Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Slime from the Striped Pyjama Squid, Sepioloidea lineolata , and the Southern Bottletail Squid, Sepiadarium austrinum (Cephalopoda: Sepiadariidae)". Journal of Proteome Research. 18 (3): 890–899. doi:10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00569. ISSN 1535-3893. PMID 30628786. S2CID 58603105.
- ^ a b c d e f g Runck, Allison (2021-09-29). "Southern Bottletail Squid". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Reid, A. (2005). "Family Sepiadariidae". In Jereb, P.; Roper, C. F. E. (eds.). Cephalopods of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalog of Species Known to Date (PDF). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 4, Vol. 1. Vol. 1: Chambered Nautiluses and Sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 92-5-105383-9. ISSN 1020-8682.
- ^ Marshall, Bruce (2022-10-11). "Sepiadarium austrinum S. S. Berry, 1921". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ Berry, S. Stillman (1921-01-29). "A review of the Cephalopod genera Sepioloidea, Sepiadarium and Idiosepius". Records of the South Australian Museum. 1 (4): 354.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Species: Sepiadarium austrinum (Southern Bottletail Squid)". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
- ^ a b Finn, J.; Norman, M. (2014). "Sepiadarium austrinum Berry, 1921, Southern Bottletail Squid". Museums Victoria Collections. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
- ^ a b c d Wegener, Benjamin J.; Stuart-Fox, Devi M.; Norman, Mark D.; Wong, Bob B.M. (2013). "Strategic male mate choice minimizes ejaculate consumption". Behavioral Ecology. 24 (3): 668–671. doi:10.1093/beheco/ars216. ISSN 1465-7279.
- ^ Schlessinger, Rachel A. (2016-05-19). Ménage à Trois in the Atlantic Brief Squid (Lolliguncula brevis): Prior Presence Affects Mate Choice (Masters). CUNY Hunter College. Retrieved 2023-04-03.