Systematic Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Sepioidea
Family: Sepiidae
Genus: Sepia
Species: Sepia recurvirostra
(Steenstrup, 1875)
Common name: Needle Inkfish.
Chinese name: °w¾¥³½

 
Characteristic Features

Mantle broad. Head small. Arms in the order 4.3.2.1, with fourth arms much stouter in the males. Only fourth arms are keeled and all have slender round tips. Suckers are in four rows except at the tips where on some of arms they appear to be biserial. Sucker rings minutely dentate. Tentacles large with rather small clubs. Swimming membrane extends over the base of the club. Dorsal protective membrane extends well down the stalk. Ventral protective membrane unites with the dorsal membrane when it is raised. Cuttlebone narrow, elongate-oval and pointed anteriorly. Spine not keeled and curved dorsally, giving the name of this species. Colour: The back is brown and has opalescent pale blue transverse stripes. A pale blue line runs along the base of the fins.

 
 
Habitat

Occur on the continental shelf between 50 and 140 m contours.

 
Size

A middle-sized species. Maximum mantle length 170 mm, weight 0.4 kg.

 
Distribution

Strait of Malacca to South China Sea - South Asia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong.

 
Commercial
fishery		 Economically important. As fresh or dried food.