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Sepioteuthis lessoniana
Sepioteuthis lessoniana Férussac, 1831
Bigfin reef squid
Sepioteuthis lessoniana
photo by Rusconi, Gianemilio

Family:  Loliginidae (inshore squids)
Max. size:  40.1 cm ML (male/unsexed); max.weight: 1.8 g
Environment:  demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 100 m
Distribution:  Indo-Pacific: from Japan to Australia and New Zealand coasts, from Hawaii to the East African coast, north to Red Sea and south to Madagascar. Introduced in the Mediterranean Sea.
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Also caught by set nets and spears and jigs. Demersal neritic species (Ref. 105081). Inhabits warm coastal waters (Ref. 101164). Found among rock reefs, seaweeds and estuaries (Ref. 105081). Primarily active at night and is found in shallow waters, from 0 to 100 m in depth. Moves to deeper waters or in proximity to floating driftwood, reefs, rocks, or seagrasses during daylight (Also Ref. 129713). Often solitary (Ref. 101164). Voracious (Ref. 101165) and strictly carnivorous predator (Refs. 101164, 129713). Mainly consumes mollusks, fishes (Ref. 101164) and prawns (Ref. 101165). Utilizes its characteristic tentacles to catch live prey (Ref. 101164). Exhibits cannibalism on smaller conspecifics (Ref. 101164) or among size classes (Ref. 101165).
IUCN Red List Status: Data deficient (DD); Date assessed: 02 July 2014 Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans: 
Country info:   
 

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