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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access originally published online on June 7, 2007
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2007 64(5):945-955; doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsm064
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© 2007 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

The ecology of Sepia australis (Cephalopoda: Sepiidae) along the south coast of South Africa

Mandisile Mqoqi1, Marek R. Lipinski1, and Anne G. V. Salvanes2

1 Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marine and Coastal Management, Private Bag X2, Rogge Bay, Cape Town 8012, South Africa
2 Department of Fisheries and Marine Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen N-5020, Norway

Correspondence to M. R. Lipinski: tel: +27 21 4023148; fax: +27 21 4023639; e-mail: lipinski{at}deat.gov.za

Mqoqi, M., Lipinski, M. R., and Salvanes, A. G. V. 2007. The ecology of Sepia australis (Cephalopoda: Sepiidae) along the south coast of South Africa. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 945–955.

The influence of abiotic factors (depth, region, temperature, salinity, and oxygen) on the abundance of the cuttlefish Sepia australis was investigated using data from bottom-trawl stations occupied in April/May (austral winter) 1988 and August/September (austral spring) 2001 off South Africa' south coast. April/May survey data for 1999, 2003, and 2004, and August/September data for 2003 and 2004 were used to assess regional or depth-related patterns in abundance. Temperature differences in the two years mainly analysed influenced distribution and abundance significantly. Abundance increased eastwards in 2001 presumably because of a high-temperature anomaly stretching westwards (i.e. limiting the species abundance to the west), whereas abundance increased westwards in the more typical winters of 1988, 1999, 2003, and 2004. Abundance increased with depth in spring 2001, 2003, and 2004. Smaller sizes of mature males may indicate that they mature earlier than females. The main prey of all size groups and maturity stages was crustaceans, and there were no size- or maturity-related changes in diet. It appears that S. australis is an opportunistic feeder dependent on whatever prey of appropriate size is abundant at any time. However, the data show an array of patterns, some likely to be the result of biological flexibility in response to a changing environment. Other patterns are part of more stable, well-balanced ecological characteristics of the species.

Keywords: cuttlefish, diet composition, distribution and abundance, ecology

Received 6 October 2006; accepted 25 March 2007; advance access publication 7 June 2007.


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