286 
C.C. Lu, A. Reid 
Figure 7 Sepia plana sp. nov.; middle portion of 
ejaculatory apparatus of spermatophore, 
holotype MV F77206, 99.3 mm ML, scale bar 
100 pm. 
anteriorly, broadens posteriorly (Figure 8B); lateral 
limbs not flared ventro-laterally; limbs continue as 
broad ledge ventral to spine (Figure 6D). 
Body papillae present. Ventral mantle with 
longitudinal row of up to 5 narrow ridges along 
each side, close to fins (not visible in all 
specimens). Head and arm papillae absent. Colour 
(alcohol preserved specimens): head and arms pale 
buff pinkish-brown; dorsal mantle pale buff 
pinkish-brown; paired dorsal eye spots absent. Fins 
pale; without markings at base. Ventral pigment 
absent. Ventral longitundinal ridges pale orange. 
Type locality 
Australia: Western Australia, North West Shelf, 
14°15'S 121°59'E; 460-430 m. 
TYPE: Holotype, MV F77206, male, 99.3 mm ML. 
Distribution 
Australia: Western Australia, North West Shelf, 
12°04’S 122°51'E - 17°55.5'S 118°16.0'E (Figure 9); 
depth range 505-396 m. May also occur off eastern 
Australia (see Remarks). 
Etymology 
The specific name, plana, is derived from the 
Latin planus meaning "level" or "flat", and refers 
to the flattened dorsal and lateral sides of the 
cuttlebone in this species. Gender feminine. 
Remarks 
A single sepion was collected on Lizard Is., off 
Queensland, 14°40'S 145°28'E in November 1989. 
This suggests that this species may also occur off 
the northeastern Australian coast, though the 
possibility that the sepion was carried by currents 
from the west cannot be excluded. The elongate 
appearance of the innermost row of polygonal 
processes on the club sucker ring infundibulum 
(Figure 4B) may be due to contraction of the 
suckers during drying for SEM preparation. Tire 
dorsal funnel organ element seems to lack an 
anterior papilla in this species. However, the 
funnel organs were damaged in most specimens. 
The absence of the anterior papilla needs to be 
confirmed when additional well-preserved 
material becomes available. 
Determination of the relationships of Sepia plana 
sp. nov. to other species is at present difficult 
owing to the general confusion of relationships 
within Sepia, and the lack of comprehensive 
descriptions for many of the nominal species 
within the genus. While some species 'complexes' 
have been recognised (e.g. Khromov et al, in press; 
Lu, in press b), these may not be monophyletic. 
These complexes are not tightly defined, based on 
few characters, and differ among authors, so 
assignment of S. plana sp. nov., or the other species 
described in this paper, to a particular complex is 
of limited value. For these reasons, it is difficult to 
select those species from among the 100 or so 
nominal sepiids which are of particular interest for 
comparison of individual characters with S. plana 
sp. nov. Some characters are shared between S. 
plana sp. nov. and other species, while other 
characters differ. The structure of the cuttlebone, 
however, with its distinctive flattened dorsal and 
lateral margins distinguishes S. plana sp. nov. from 
all other nominal species in the genus. 
Sepia senta sp. nov. 
Figures 9-16; Tables 4-6 and 10 
Holotype 
Australia: Western Australia, North West Shelf - 
M (41.5 mm ML), 14°07'S 122°06'E, 415 m, 25 Jan 
1990, coll. V. Wadley on RV "Courageous", (MV 
F77200). 
Paratypes 
Australia: Western Australia, North West Shelf - 
IF (64.2 mm ML), 13 C 45'S 122° 39'E, 420 m, 23 Jan 
1990, coll. RV "Courageous", (MV F77195); 7M 
(42.1-61.6 mm ML) 2F (54.6, 54.7 mm ML), NW of 
Cape Leveque, 14°50.2'S 121°31.4'E - 14°48.6'S 
121°33.2'E, 356 m, 12 Feb 1984, coll. S. Slack-Smith 
on RV "Soela", (WAM 332-86); 3F (62.5-83.2 mm 
ML), NW of Cape Leveque, 14°51.9'S 121°40.6'E - 
14°54.0'S 121 °39.1'E, 260-256 m, 16 Feb 1984, coll. 
S. Slack-Smith on RV "Soela", (WAM 104-96); 1M 
