Sepia hieronis (Robson 1924)

Sepia hieronis (Robson, 1924)

ILLUSTRATIONS.—Adam and Rees, 1966, pl. 43: fig. 262; Roeleveld, 1972, fig. 13 a, pl. 43.

DIAGNOSIS.—Tentacular club with subequal suckers in 5 longitudinal rows. Lateral arms with several medial suckers enlarged, especially in male. Sepion without spine but with blunt knob. Anterior striae with 3 rounded peaks.

ORIGINAL REFERENCE.—Robson, 1924b:645.

TYPE LOCALITIES.—South Africa, Cape Town, 32°32′–33°03′S, 17°29′–17°42′E.

TYPES.—Syntypes: The Natural History Museum, London: 1924.9.9.54–55, 1 male, 44 mm ML, without sepion, 1 female, 50 mm ML, without sepion, 1 sepion, 48 mm, 1 sepion, 58 mm; 1924.9.9.56, 1 ?female, without sepion, in very poor condition, 31 mm ML, 1 sepion, 42 mm. Soft parts more or less shrunken!

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.—South and East Africa from 17°S (Atlantic) to Kenya (Indian Ocean).

Sepia hieronis is a species of cuttlefish native to the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and southwestern Indian Ocean, specifically southern Namibia, from approximately 27°S to Port Alfred, South Africa, and east Africa from 17°S to Kenya and Mozambique. It is also present in the Saya-de-Malha Bank. It lives at depths of between 43 and 500 m, although it is most abundant at 110 to 250 m depth.

Sepia hieronis grows to a mantle length of 70 mm.

The type specimen was collected off Cape Town, South Africa (32°32' to 33°03'S, 17°29' to 17°42'E). It is deposited at The Natural History Museum in London.