Metasepia pfefferi

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	MOLLUSCA	CEPHALOPODA	SEPIOLOIDA	SEPIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Metasepia pfefferi

Species Authority:

(Hoyle, 1885)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Flamboyant Cuttlefish
French	–	Seiche flamboyante
Spanish	–	Sepia llamativa

Synonym/s:

Sepia pfefferi Hoyle, 1885

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Data Deficient ver 3.1
Year Published:	2012
Assessor/s:	Barratt, I. & Allcock, L.
Reviewer/s:	Reid, A., Rogers, Alex & Bohm, M.
Contributor/s:	Herdson, R. & Duncan, C.
Justification: Metasepia pfefferi has been assessed as Data Deficient since there are no data available on the impact of harvesting for the aquarium trade. Other potential future threats include ocean acidification caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The geographic distribution of this species includes northern Australia from Mandurah, western Australia, to Moreton Bay, southern Queensland and the southern coast of New Guinea (Reid et al. 2005).
Countries:	Native: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia); Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea (main island group))
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – western central
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The population size of this species is unknown.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is a demersal neritic species found on sand and muddy habitats in shallow waters (Reid et al. 2005). It is typically well camouflaged but when disturbed changes to bright, warning colouration (Reid et al. 2005). It is active by day preying on fish and crustaceans (Reid et al. 2005). The female spawns large white eggs into crevices or under ledges in coral, rock, wood or coconut shells (Norman 2003). This species has direct developing young (Norman 2003).
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is a demersal neritic species found on sand and muddy habitats in shallow waters (Reid et al. 2005). It is typically well camouflaged but when disturbed changes to bright, warning colouration (Reid et al. 2005). It is active by day preying on fish and crustaceans (Reid et al. 2005). The female spawns large white eggs into crevices or under ledges in coral, rock, wood or coconut shells (Norman 2003). This species has direct developing young (Norman 2003).

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Ocean acidification caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is potentially a threat to all cuttlefish. Studies have shown that under high pCO₂ concentrations, cuttlefishes actually lay down a denser cuttlebone which is likely to negatively affect buoyancy regulation (Gutowska et al. 2010). This species is characterised by bright colours and patterns and interesting behaviours that may make it a popular in the aquarium trade (Reid et al. 2005).

Major Threat(s):

Ocean acidification caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is potentially a threat to all cuttlefish. Studies have shown that under high pCO₂ concentrations, cuttlefishes actually lay down a denser cuttlebone which is likely to negatively affect buoyancy regulation (Gutowska et al. 2010). This species is characterised by bright colours and patterns and interesting behaviours that may make it a popular in the aquarium trade (Reid et al. 2005).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Research is required on the trends in population size, and whether harvesting is having an impact on the population size of this species.

Conservation Actions:

Research is required on the trends in population size, and whether harvesting is having an impact on the population size of this species.

Citation:	Barratt, I. & Allcock, L. 2012. Metasepia pfefferi. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2013.
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