Distribution and abundance of sepiolids (Mollusca : Cephalopoda) off the north-eastern Greek coasts

Sepiolids are a lesser known group of cephalopods. This paper aims to increase knowledge of their distribution and abundance in the NE Mediterranean. A total of 3404 sepiolids were collected off the north-eastern coasts of Greece, between 17 and 400 m of depth, during four seasonal trawl surveys carried out from November 1992 to August-September 1993. Nine species were identified: Neorossia caroli, Rondeletiola minor Rossia macrosoma, Sepietta neglecta, Sepietta oweniana, Sepiola affinis, Sepiola intermedia, Sepiola ligulata and Sepiola rondeleti. S. oweniona was the most abundant species among them, followed by R. minor R. macrosoma and S. rondeleti. The results of multivariate analysis, based on Bray-Curtis similarity indices, showed the presence of three main groups : one related to the shallower hauls near the coast (<60m) where S. rondeleti and S. intermedia were more frequently caught, a second one consisting of hauls carried out at depths 55-105 m, in which S. oweniana was the dominant species, and a third one with deeper hauls characterised by the highest abundance of S. oweniana, R.. minor and R. macrosoina. Length frequencies and maturity stages are presented by season and sex for the four most abundant species. Seasonal changes in the bathymetric distribution of these species are also discussed in relation to their life cycle.