Sepiadarium austrinum

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Sepiadarium austrinum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Sepiolida
Family: Sepiadariidae
Genus: Sepiadarium
Species:
S. austrinum
Binomial name
Sepiadarium austrinum
Berry, 1921

Sepiadarium austrinum, the southern bottletail squid,[2][3] is a species of cephalopod[4] in the genus Sepiadarium.[5] It was first described by S. Stillman Berry in 1921[4] based on a specimen found in St. Vincent Bay in South Australia.[6]

Description

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Sepiadarium austrinum is very small and round, with kidney-shaped fins on the back third of its body.[7] It has a mantle length of up to three centimeters[4] and a total length of up to four centimeters.[3] It can be transparent, yellow, or orange, with egg-shaped white leucophores.[4] S. austrinum has ten arms and tentacles[7] with nine or ten rows of suckers on each arm.[4]

Distribution

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Sepiadarium austrinum is found in the southern Indo-Pacific[4] in southern Australia,[7] with a small population in the Spencer Gulf.[3] They are mostly found in sandy habitats in shallow,[7] sheltered waters[3] at depths up to 65 meters.[7]

Behavior

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Sepiadarium austrinum buries itself in the sand during the day and feeds at night.[7] It is able to produce slime[4] when threatened.[2]

Diet

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Sepiadarium austrinum is carnivorous.[8] It feeds in the sand and near seagrass beds.[7] Its diet is mostly composed of small fish and crustaceans, including amphipods[4] and especially benthic isopods.[3]

Reproduction

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Sepiadarium austrinum reproduce from a young age;[4] immature females can also store sperm.[3] Individuals mate with multiple partners. Mating is initiated by males and there is no observed courtship behavior.[9] 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.[3] Females can also remove sperm from the pouch,[9] and regularly consume spermatophores.[10] They fertilize eggs by passing them over the pouch.[9] Clumps of eggs[7] are covered in sand and attached to seaweed or seagrass.[4]

Life cycle

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Sepiadarium austrinum is an annual species.[9] Juveniles settle quickly after hatching.[4]

Relationship to humans

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Sepiadarium austrinum survives well in aquariums, which may make them of commercial interest.[4] They may bite when handled.[8]

References

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  1. ^ Barratt, I.; Allcock, L. (2012). "Sepiadarium austrinum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012 e.T162550A913995. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T162550A913995.en. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Runck, Allison (2021-09-29). "Southern Bottletail Squid". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Marshall, Bruce (2022-10-11). "Sepiadarium austrinum S. S. Berry, 1921". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h "Species: Sepiadarium austrinum (Southern Bottletail Squid)". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  8. ^ a b Finn, J.; Norman, M. (2014). "Sepiadarium austrinum Berry, 1921, Southern Bottletail Squid". Museums Victoria Collections. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.