Higher Classification: > Kingdom Animalia > Subkingdom Eumetazoa > Phylum Mollusca > Class Cephalopoda > Subclass Coleoidea > Superorder Decapodiformes > Order Sepiida > Suborder Sepiina > Superfamily Sepioidea > Family Sepiidae > Genus Sepia

Sepia officinalis Linnaeus, 1758

Rank: Species
Taxon Status: accepted

Relationships towards this taxon

Genus group names

*Sepia*	Linnaeus, 1758	accepted genus name

Species group names

*Sepia filliouxi*	Lafont, 1869	synonym
*Sepia fischeri*	Lafont, 1871	synonym
*Sepia mediterranea*	Ninni, 1884	synonym
*Sepia veranyi*	Lagatu, 1888	synonym
*Sepia zebrina*	Risso, 1854	synonym

Vernaculars (+) (-)

Albanian: sepja; sipa; supja sources: Dhora, DH. 2008. Fjalor i emrave të kafshëve të Shqipërisë (Emri shkencor – Shqip – Anglisht) / Dictionary of animal names of Albania (Scientific names – Albanian – English). Camaj – Pipa. Shkodër, Albania. pp. 288.

Basque: txautxa; txibia sources: Club d'immersió Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona

Bulgarian: Sepija sources: Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.

Catalan: sípia comuna

Corsican: seppia

Czech: sépie obecná

Danish: sepiablæksprutte sources: PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Dutch: Gewone inktvis; gewone zeekat; Zeekat sources: Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.;Hayward, P.; Nelson-Smith, A.; Shields, C. (1999). Gids van kust en strand: flora en fauna [Coast and beach guide: flora and fauna]. Tirion: Baarn, Netherlands. ISBN 90-5210-327-5. 352, ill. pp.;Cattrijsse, A. & M. Vincx. (2001). Biodiversity of the benthos and the avifauna of the Belgian coastal waters: summary of data collected between 1970 and 1998. Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs: Brussel, Belgium. 48 pp.

English: Common cuttlefish; cuttlefish sources: Leewis, R. (2002). Flora en fauna van de zee [Marine flora and fauna]. Veldgids, 16. KNNV Uitgeverij: Utrecht, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-5011-153-X. 320 pp.;Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.

Finnish: Mustekala sources: Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.

French: Casseron; Chakod; Chibia; margade; seche; Seiche; Seiche commune sources: Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.;Ly B., Diop M., Girardin M.,Guide et nomenclature nationale commerciale des espèces marines (poissons, crustacès et mollusques) pechèes en Mauritanie;Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp.

German: Gemeine Sepie; Gemeine Tintenschnecke; Gemeiner Tintenfisch; Gemeiner Tintenfish; gewöhnliche Tintenfisch; Gewöhnlicher Tintenfisch; Sepia; Sepie; Sepietintenfisch sources: Cole, T. C. H. (2017). Wörterbuch der Wirbellosen / Dictionary of Invertebrates. Latein-Deutsch-English. 2017. Springer Spektrum: Berlin. ISBN 978-3-662-52869-3. XII, 574 pp.;Leewis, R. (2002). Flora en fauna van de zee [Marine flora and fauna]. Veldgids, 16. KNNV Uitgeverij: Utrecht, The Netherlands. ISBN 90-5011-153-X. 320 pp.;VLIZ. (2016). Wetenschappelijke en handelsbenamingen voor visserij- en aquacultuurproducten op de Belgische markt. VLIZ Beleidsinformerende Nota's, BIN 2016_001. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Oostende. 28 + Annex. pp.;Ly B., Diop M., Girardin M.,Guide et nomenclature nationale commerciale des espèces marines (poissons, crustacès et mollusques) pechèes en Mauritanie;Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.

Greek: Soupia; Σουπιά sources: Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.;PESI (A Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure) focal points

Hassaniyya: oum semra sources: Ly B., Diop M., Girardin M.,Guide et nomenclature nationale commerciale des espèces marines (poissons, crustacès et mollusques) pechèes en Mauritanie

Italian: Scarpetta; Scarpitelle; Scarpitta; Secce; Seccetella; sepa; sepia; Sepia imperiale; Sepp(i)a; Seppia comune; siccia sources: Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.;Ly B., Diop M., Girardin M.,Guide et nomenclature nationale commerciale des espèces marines (poissons, crustacès et mollusques) pechèes en Mauritanie

Japanese: ko-ika; ma-ika; Mongo-ika; Yoroppa kouika sources: Ly B., Diop M., Girardin M.,Guide et nomenclature nationale commerciale des espèces marines (poissons, crustacès et mollusques) pechèes en Mauritanie;Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.

Polish: mątwa pospolita; mątwa zwyczajna

Portuguese: checo; Choco; choco-vulgar; siba sources: Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.;Ly B., Diop M., Girardin M.,Guide et nomenclature nationale commerciale des espèces marines (poissons, crustacès et mollusques) pechèes en Mauritanie

Russian: Kora katitza; obiknovennaya karakatiza; sepia sources: Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.;Ly B., Diop M., Girardin M.,Guide et nomenclature nationale commerciale des espèces marines (poissons, crustacès et mollusques) pechèes en Mauritanie

Spanish, Castillian: Aluda; Choco; coca; Jibia; Jibión; Luda; Rellena / Relleno; Sepia común; sipia; Sipionet sources: Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.

Turkish: Sübye

Literature

original description	Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. [The system of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera, species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places.]. Impensis Direct. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. 1(10) [iii], 824 p.
basis of record	Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180-213.
basis of record	Lupše, N.; Reid, A.; Taite, M.; Kubodera, T.; Allcock, A. L. (2023). Cuttlefishes (Cephalopoda, Sepiidae): the bare bones—an hypothesis of relationships. Marine Biology. 170(8): 93: 1-31.
additional source	Reid, A., Jereb, P. & Roper, C.F.E. (2005). Family Sepiidae. pp. 57-152, in P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes [Rome, FAO]. 4(1): 262 pp. 9 pls.
additional source	Boone, L. & Erdman, D. S. (1957). Vagabond cuttlebones. The Nautilus. 70(3): 106-107.

Genbank

External Links

Marine Life Information Network - UK

Citation

MolluscaBase eds. (2025). MolluscaBase. Sepia officinalis Linnaeus, 1758. Via: Costello, M.J.; Bouchet, P.; Boxshall, G.; Arvantidis, C.; Appeltans, W. (2011) European Register of Marine Species, Accessed through PESI at http://www.eu-nomen.eu/portal/taxon.php?GUID=urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:141444