Department of Primary Industries (NSW), Lord Howe Island Marine Park News, The Lord Howe Island Signal

This month something particularly exciting washed up on Lagoon beach in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (LHIMP) – a small cuttlefish which had died in recent storms. It was found by visiting researcher Sally Montgomery, and represents the first animal of a Lord Howe Island cuttlefish ever studied.

The bones of various cuttlefish species often wash up in the marine park, but most of these have floated across the ocean from animals living elsewhere, a process known as post-mortem drift. There is, however, a small species of cuttlefish known to live in the LHIMP which until now has remained a mystery to science. There have been reports of this species being observed at night over seagrass beds in the lagoon by divers and fishers, and it’s unique cuttlebones have also been found washed up on Lord Howe Island beaches.

In 1940, a single cuttlebone was used to describe and name this species Sepia baxteri. However, despite the best efforts of Australian Museum researchers, an animal has never been collected to study. Therefore, it has never been possible to confirm whether Sepia baxteri is, in fact, a unique species found only in the LHIMP or just a variation of a similar, but more widespread, species.

The cuttlefish recently found is therefore a very important specimen, and was posted to cephalopod expert Dr Mandy Reid at the Australian Museum. Preliminary examination suggests it is in fact a unique species and DNA analysis will be used to confirm this. In the meantime, any other information or sightings of this rare cuttlefish can be reported to Dr Mandy Reid via mandy.reid@australian.museum.

This article appeared in The Lord Howe Island Signal, 31 October 2022.