Sepia tuberculata
Encyclopedia
Sepia tuberculata is a species of cuttlefish
native to South African waters from Melkbosstrand
(33°43′S 18°26′E) to Knysna
(34°03′S 23°03′E). It lives in very shallow water to a depth of 3 m. It is endemic.
The type specimen was collected off the coast of South Africa and is deposited at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
in Paris
.
length of 82 mm. The upper surface of the body is rough with variably extending bumps. The lower body surface has two glandular patches. Like all cuttlefish, this species has ten arms, of which two are elongated tentacles used for catching prey. It has narrow fins which extend the length of the body.
s. It uses its glandular patches to cling to rocks.
Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda . Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs....
native to South African waters from Melkbosstrand
Melkbosstrand
Melkbosstrand is a coastal village and beach with just over 17000 inhabitants, located on the South West Coast of South Africa, 35 km north of Cape Town....
(33°43′S 18°26′E) to Knysna
Knysna
Knysna is a town with 76,431 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and is part of the Garden Route. It lies 34 degrees south of the equator, and is 72 kilometres east from the town of George on the N2 highway, and 25 kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay on the same road.-History:A...
(34°03′S 23°03′E). It lives in very shallow water to a depth of 3 m. It is endemic.
The type specimen was collected off the coast of South Africa and is deposited at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Description
Sepia tuberculata grows to a mantleMantle (mollusc)
The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...
length of 82 mm. The upper surface of the body is rough with variably extending bumps. The lower body surface has two glandular patches. Like all cuttlefish, this species has ten arms, of which two are elongated tentacles used for catching prey. It has narrow fins which extend the length of the body.
Ecology
S. tuberculata is capable of changing colour rapidly. It feeds on shrimpShrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
s. It uses its glandular patches to cling to rocks.