Marine Species Identification Portal : Sepiola atlantica

Férussac & d'Orbigny, 1839

Description:
Body is smooth, translucent, with variably sized, blotchy patches of pigment, which are particularly dense on dorsal surface. Fat and saccular, with rounded posterior end. Maximum mantle length about 20 mm, comprising about half of the total body-length. Dorsal anterior mantle edge is fused to dorsal surface of head, between eyes; ventral edge of mantle with straight, thickened edge.
Fins are thin and delicate, each as broad as body at point of attachment, irregularly rounded.
Arms are more or less rounded in section; with two longitudinal rows of suckers, increasing to four to eight rows distally on dorsal arms. Left dorsal arm of male is strongly bent starting at the middle; in the middle of its distal area, 3-4 suckers of dorsal row are greatly enlarged.
Tentacle club with eight longitudinal rows of suckers. Suckers on the dorsal side of the club are larger than those on the ventral side.

Habitat:
Shallow subtidal and offshore (Sepiola swimming); frequently in intertidal rock pools, often taken on sandy shores in shrimp nets (S. atlantica-photo).

Distribution:
From Iceland, Faeroe Islands and western Norway to Morocco. Absent from the Mediterranean Sea. Widespread and common (Distr. S. atlantica).

Sepiola atlantica