Sepia papuensis Hoyle 1885

Sepia papuensis Hoyle, 1885

?Sepia galei Meyer, 1909:332. [Type not traced.]

Solitosepia submestus Iredale, 1926b:238. [Holotype, AM C133325, 67.7 mm SL (70.2 mm including spine), Masthead Island, Capricorn Group, Qld (23°32′S, 151°44′E).]

Solitosepia occidua Cotton, 1929:88. [Holotype, SAM D13627, 45 mm SL (48 mm including spine), Rottnest Island, WA (32°00′S, 115°30′E).]

Solitosepia genista Iredale, 1954:66. [Holotype, AM C133309, 62 mm SL (64.8 mm including spine), Broome, WA (17°31.5′S, 121°27′E).]

Solitosepia lana Iredale, 1954:66. [Holotype, AM C133301, 94.5 mm SL (98.7 mm including spine), Low Isles, Qld (16°23′S, 145°34′E).]

DIAGNOSIS.—Anterior dorsal mantle margin acuminate; ventral mantle margin emarginate. Swimming membrane of tentacular club (Figure 17a) broad, extended club length beyond club base. Protective membranes narrow, fused at base in adults, separate in young specimens. Club suckers in 5 longitudinal series, suckers in median series largest, followed in size by suckers in ventromedian series. Arm suckers quadriserial except suckers biserial, small, on attenuated distal parts of male arms I–III. Left arm IV of male shows no trace of hectocotylization. Swimming membranes of arms I–III with series of semicircular lappets. Small papillae covering dorsal and ventral surfaces of mantle and dorsal and lateral surfaces of head and arms, lacking on ventral surface of head and arms IV.

Sepion (Figures 17b–g, 18) oval, widest anterior of middle, anterior end bluntly rounded, posterior end acuminately rounded. Dorsal surface with 3 longitudinal ribs separated by 2 grooves, chitinous margins broad. Ventral surface with distinct median groove. Striated zone narrow, long, StrZI 57–73 (fide Adam, 1979); striae broadly arched. Limbs of inner cone fused to outer cone, forming chitinous ledge surrounding posterior excavation. Spine straight, with ventral keel.

ORIGINAL REFERENCE.—Hoyle, 1885:197.

TYPE LOCALITY.—H.M.S. Challenger sta 188 (9°59′S, 139°42′E), Arafura Sea, South of Papua, 28 fathoms (51.2 m).

TYPE.—Syntype: BMNH 1889.4.24.68, 1 male, 64 mm ML, 63 mm SL, animal in alcohol (fide Adam and Rees, 1966). Not examined.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.—Indo-West Pacific; Northern Australia from southern WA (Freemantle, 32°03′S, 115°44′E) to southern NSW (36°35′S, 150°16′E), including Gulf of Carpentaria, at depths of 17–155 m.