Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Austrorossia
    Species
    australis
    Subfamily
    Rossiinae
    Family
    Sepiolidae
    Super Family
    Sepioloidea
    Suborder
    Sepiolina
    Order
    Sepiida
    Superorder
    Decapodiformes
    Subclass
    Coleoidea
    Class
    Cephalopoda
    Phylum
    Mollusca
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    Males smaller, up to 3.5 cm length, females up to 6.3 cm length.

Bobtail squids are small spherical squids with eight short arms, a pair of retractile feeding tentacles and pair of rounded fins on either side of the body. Members of this genus lack the light organ found in many other bobtail squid species.

Identification

Uniform pinkish to purplish brown. Dorsal mantle is free and not fused to head, and fins are wide and short. Ink sac is present.

Habitat

Bottom living species, found on sandy and muddy substrates at a depth from 131 to 665m.

Distribution

Eastern and southern Australia, from north Queensland to Great Australian Bight.


Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia

Other behaviours and adaptations

The female lays eggs in small clusters and leaves unattended to hatch. Females may spawn several times in a year.

References

  • Jereb, P., & C.F.E Roper (eds) (2005) Cephalopods of the World: Chambered Nautiluses and Sepioids, Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Catalogue for Fishery Purposes, Rome, No. 4, Vol. 1
  • Norman, M., (2000) Cephalopods- A World Guide, ConchBooks, Germany (Hackenheim)