Giant cuttlefish: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the giant cuttlefish lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Sepia apama
Group	Octopuses, squid & cuttlefish
Status	Near threatened (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	Oceania
Class	Cephalopod
Order	Sepiida
Family	Sepiidae

Where does the giant cuttlefish live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the giant cuttlefish in 1 country or territory across Oceania.

Australia

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the giant cuttlefish endangered?

The giant cuttlefish’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Near threatened” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the giant cuttlefish?

The giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama) is a cephalopod in the order Sepiida and the family Sepiidae, genus Sapia. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the giant cuttlefish

The giant cuttlefish (Ascarosepion apama), also known as the Australian giant cuttlefish, is the world's largest cuttlefish species, growing to 50 cm (20 in) in mantle length and up to 100 cm (39 in) in total length (that is, including outstretched tentacles). They can weigh over 10.5 kg (23 lb). Like all cuttlefish species, the giant cuttlefish has eight arms and two feeding tentacles, as well as blue blood and three hearts. Using cells known as chromatophores, the cuttlefish can put on spectacular displays, changing colour in an instant. The giant cuttlefish is native to temperate and subtropical waters of Australia, from Brisbane in Queensland to Shark Bay in Western Australia and Tasmania to the south. It occurs on rocky reefs, seagrass beds, and sand and mud seafloor to a depth of 100 m (330 ft). The genetically distinct population in the Upper Spencer Gulf is the most studied population, and has become a tourist attraction.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Giant cuttlefish (revision 1376414755), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1632342 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).