Giant Australian cuttlefish in very low numbers

[pink nipper]

Giant Australian cuttlefish are still in critically low numbers in upper Spencer Gulf in South Australia, at the mid-point of the usual breeding season.

The upper gulf has been the only place in the world where the species breeds in large numbers.

In the past, there have been hundreds of thousands of cuttlefish in the waters near Point Lowly, close to Whyalla.

But local diver Tony Bramley searched along 1.5 kilometres of coastline and saw only 10 cuttlefish as he swam.

He said more had to be done to find out why the numbers were so depleted.

"This late in the season, the chances of a number of cuttlefish coming in this late is virtually zero," he said.

"There just doesn't seem to be the concern from government or really the community locally.

"Nobody seems to be really worried about it. Everyone seems to be going along in a sort of 'Let's hope for the best' and 'She'll be right' but I don't think it will be. I think we've lost this aggregation."

The SA Government is doing surveys this season to try to better understand the species and its breeding.
There were also critically low numbers of cuttlefish in the breeding area last year.

Nip.

[Prof]

Maybe with the ban on whaling, they are eating more cuttlefish??

Or could be a decline in the sea grasses where they breed??

Whatever the cause, someone has to find out why?

For it's creatures like these that are good indicators to a larger problem?

Cheers

[Scizz]

They only live for 2 years so they can be wiped out very quickly.