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Sea fish

Common cuttlefish

Sepia officinalis

Get to know the species, pick your region, find your spot.

Other names: Mürekkep balığı

Open fishing grounds on the map Bait and tackle
Common cuttlefish
(c) Charlotte Kirchner, some rights reserved (CC BY) · source
Family
Sepiidae

Choose your region

The information changes with the region you choose.

Where is Common cuttlefish caught?

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South West coast fishing spots

274
South West coast
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A listed spot is not a guarantee of a catch.

South West coast

Season and suitable conditions

Check the season information for the region you chose.

Peak months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul

Season information is no guarantee of a catch.

Best spots in October

By month

Average monthly score of the spots in Turkey (0–100).

  1. 39 Jan
  2. 68 Feb
  3. 79 Mar
  4. 82 Apr
  5. 79 May
  6. 59 Jun
  7. 37 Jul
  8. 33 Aug
  9. 37 Sep
  10. 60 Oct
  11. 63 Nov
  12. 58 Dec

The best spot in each Turkish province, by this month’s score.

  1. Avana Plajı Bozcaada, Çanakkale 72/100 Very good
  2. İğneada Limanı Dış Kıyısı Demirköy, Kırklareli 72/100 Very good
  3. Ayvalık Belediyesi Plaj İşletmesi Ayvalık, Balıkesir 71/100 Very good
  4. Enez Limanı Dış Kıyısı Enez, Edirne 71/100 Very good
  5. Aliaport Aliağa, İzmir 71/100 Very good

A 0–100 score from season, water temperature, habitat and local records; a general trend, not a guarantee.

Best times of day

When in the day it bites best, month by month.

  • Active day and night
  • Good at night

In October

  1. Dawn 75

    1 h before sunrise → 1.5 h after

  2. Midday 25

    0.5 h before midday → 1 h after

  3. Dusk Best 85

    1 h before sunset → 2 h after

  4. Night 80

    1 h after sunset → 1.5 h before sunrise

Moon phase

Effect of the moon on night fishing; the scores compare the phases.

  1. New moon 65
  2. First quarter 60
  3. Full moon 55
  4. Last quarter 60

Best phase: New moon

Windows across 12 months

Best times of day J F M A M J J A S O N D
Dawn 55 55 85 85 85 70 70 70 75 75 75 55
Midday 70 70 45 45 45 25 25 25 70
Dusk 75 75 90 90 90 80 80 80 85 85 85 75
Night 50 50 65 65 65 85 85 85 80 80 80 50

Windows follow sunrise and sunset; clock times change with place and date. Scores are relative within the month: 100 is the best window of the day.

6 sources · confidence medium

Habitat

Where it lives and in what kind of water: ranges compiled by the research.

Depth

0–242 m

mostly 0–50 m

Water temperature

7–26.8 °C

ideal 11–23 °C

Salinity

Full-strength seawater

18–40 ‰

Shore types

  • Sandy beach
  • Cove / inner bay
  • Rocky shore
  • Breakwater / jetty
  • Pier / quay
  • Around marinas
  • Mixed shore
  • Lagoon / weir mouth
  • Inside harbours
  • Harbour mouth
  • Reclaimed shore
  • Shoal / reef

Bottom

Lives close to the bottom

  • Sand
  • Seagrass
  • Seaweed

Ranges from FishBase, AquaMaps and the literature; a general tendency, not a hard limit.

Confidence: shore type high, temperature high

Bait and tackle suggestions

Recorded baits and fishing techniques.

Bait by month

Baits documented for shore fishing, month by month and by water clarity.

In October

Lures

By water clarity

Cephalopod — Squid and cuttlefish hunt with their large eyes; jigs (egi, totanara) are the main method. Octopus also uses touch and smell.

Clear Visibility: over 8 m
Lure First lure: Squid jig · Very suitable Usually in this water: Egi/squid jig; slow sink, short jerks. Colour: Silver
Slightly coloured Visibility: 4–8 m
Lure First lure: Squid jig · Very suitable Usually in this water: Egi; gold tape on cloudy days. Colour: Gold, Fluorescent, Pink
Moderately coloured Visibility: 2–4 m
Lure First lure: Squid jig · Suitable Usually in this water: Egi one size up; red or gold tape. Colour: Red, Gold, Glow (UV)
Murky Visibility: 1–2 m
Lure First lure: Squid jig · Weak Usually in this water: Glow/UV egi; lighted totanara. Colour: Glow (UV), Red
Very murky Visibility: under 1 m
Lure First lure: Squid jig · Not recommended Usually in this water: Glow egi. Colour: Glow (UV) No strong option in this water; catches may be poor.

Night colour: Glow (UV)

12-month bait calendar
January
Lures: Squid jig
February
Lures: Squid jig
March
Lures: Squid jig
April
Lures: Squid jig
May
Lures: Squid jig
June
Lures: Squid jig
July
Lures: Squid jig
August
Lures: Squid jig
September
Lures: Squid jig
October
Lures: Squid jig
November
Lures: Squid jig
December
Lures: Squid jig

This is the usual pattern; the water and weather on the day can change it. Colour is fine-tuning: bait type, size and action come first. Confidence: natural low, lures high. Colour and presentation guide

Tackle recipe

Eging

Squid and cuttlefish fishing

Fishing for cephalopods with egi-type lures

  • Level: Beginner–Advanced
  • Effort: Low–Moderate
Rod
2.40–2.70 m; EGI 2.0–3.5
Reel
2500–3000 shallow spool
Main line
PE 0.6–0.8
Leader/trace
0.25–0.33 mm fluorocarbon
Hook/lure
Egi crown hook
Bait/lure
Egi 2.5–3.0
Connector
Swivel/clip; pick a suitable breaking strain

Watch out: Wet piers and ink splatter

Keep with you: Pliers, hook remover, glasses and first aid

Regulations: Communiqué 2024/21 Article 16 hook and line limits and place bans are checked

  • Rod

  • Reel

  • Line and leader

A setup to start from. Rod length, line diameter and drag are changed to suit the size of fish you are after and the current and bottom structure of the ground.

See tackle suggestions

Fishing rules

The regulation holds no separate minimum size or closed season entry for this species. The provisions for Türkiye as a whole apply.

Before you go, check local area and method restrictions.

Species profile

Common cuttlefish
Scientific name
Sepia officinalis
Family
Sepiidae
Order
Sepiida
Water type
Saltwater
Seas
Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean
Other names
Sübye, Mürekkep balığı

Frequently asked questions

Which seas is Common cuttlefish found in?

In our records Common cuttlefish appears in these seas: Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean, North Aegean & Thrace — Greece, Central & South Aegean — Greece, Ionian Sea — Greece, Crete & Libyan Sea — Greece, Güzelyurt Bay — Northern Cyprus, Kyrenia north coast — Northern Cyprus, Famagusta–İskele — Northern Cyprus, Karpas Peninsula — Northern Cyprus, Akamas–Paphos west coast — Southern Cyprus, Paphos–Limassol south coast — Southern Cyprus, Larnaca southeast coast — Southern Cyprus, Ayia Napa–Protaras — Southern Cyprus, Ligurian Sea — Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea — Italy, Adriatic — Italy, Ionian Sea — Italy, Strait of Sicily — Italy, Sardinian Sea — Italy, Atlantic Ocean — Spain, Mediterranean — Spain, Cantabrian Sea — Spain, Balearic Sea — Spain, Alboran Sea — Spain, Gulf of Cádiz — Spain, Strait of Gibraltar — Spain, Adriatic — Croatia, Mediterranean — France, Atlantic — France, Channel & North Sea — France, South East coast — England, South coast — England, South West coast — England.

In which months is Common cuttlefish at its peak?

Peak periods by sea: Sardinian Sea — Italy February, March, April, October, November; North Aegean & Thrace — Greece October–March; Central & South Aegean — Greece October–March; Ionian Sea — Greece October–March; Crete & Libyan Sea — Greece September–March; Mediterranean — Spain February, March, April, May, October, November; Famagusta–İskele — Northern Cyprus all year; Güzelyurt Bay — Northern Cyprus all year; Kyrenia north coast — Northern Cyprus all year; Karpas Peninsula — Northern Cyprus all year; Paphos–Limassol south coast — Southern Cyprus all year; Ayia Napa–Protaras — Southern Cyprus all year; Akamas–Paphos west coast — Southern Cyprus all year; Larnaca southeast coast — Southern Cyprus all year; Ligurian Sea — Italy February, March, April, May, October, November; Tyrrhenian Sea — Italy February, March, April, October, November; Adriatic — Italy February, March, April, May, October, November; Strait of Sicily — Italy February, March, April, October, November; Ionian Sea — Italy February, March, April, October, November; Alboran Sea — Spain February, March, April, October, November; Strait of Gibraltar — Spain February, March, April, October, November; Gulf of Cádiz — Spain February, March, April, May, October, November; Cantabrian Sea — Spain January, February, March, April, September, October; Atlantic Ocean — Spain January, February, March, April, September, October; Balearic Sea — Spain February, March, April, May, October, November; Adriatic — Croatia April–June; Atlantic — France April–July; Mediterranean — France April–July; Channel & North Sea — France April–July; South East coast — England April–July; South coast — England April–July; South West coast — England April–July.

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Open fishing grounds on the map
Open fishing grounds on the map · 2,433 fishing grounds

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