Giant Australian cuttlefish

Each winter tens of thousands of Giant Australian Cuttlefish (Sepia apama) aggregate on a discrete area of northern Spencer Gulf, South Australia, to spawn.

Giant Australian Cuttlefish are one of the largest cuttlefish species in the world, and males can measure up to 50 cm long and weigh about 10 kg. They are amazing creatures that are expert colour changers, masters of camouflage and can change shape and texture to look like its surrounding environment

Dense Cuttlefish spawning aggregations in Point Lowly

Point Lowly, in South Australia’s northern Spencer Gulf, is the only known site where Giant Australian Cuttlefish form dense spawning aggregations.

It is not completely understood why Giant Cuttlefish aggregate in northern Spencer Gulf. It is likely that they are attracted to the shallow rocky areas along the coast as it provides optimal habitat to lay their eggs.

Research reports to investigate population decline

A number of research projects have been undertaken under the guidance of the State Government cross-agency Cuttlefish Working Group because of community concerns about population decline. These projects have now been finalised with reports available below.

The exact cause of the decline remains difficult to pinpoint, however environmental temperature appears to have a strong influence on the size of the population.