Sepia (cephalopod)


Sepia is a genus of cuttlefish in the family Sepiidae encompassing some of the best known and most common species. The cuttlebone is ellipsoid in shape. The name of the genus is the Latinised form of the Ancient Greek "cuttlefish".

Anatomy

All members of Sepia possess eight arms and two tentacles. Tentacles are retractable limbs used to target and latch onto prey, whereas arms are used for handling prey and producing patterns of light and dark to distract prey. Once a prey item has been caught, the tentacles detach from it and have no other function. The tentacles reside in sheaths that run below the eyes and behind the head, into the visceral mass, where they are reserved as coiled, spring-loaded appendages, waiting to be ejected towards a food target.

Classification

A 2023 paper extensively revised the composition of genus Sepia; As a consequence, many species have been split out of genus Sepia, assigned to revived genera or elevated subgenera. Currently, the genus has 58 species, according to WoRMS. A number of these species need further verification, but they are listed below:
The species marked with an asterisk were examined in the 2023 paper.

Extinct species

A number of extinct species have been described from the Neogene of Europe, though many of these are likely synonyms. They include: