Scientific name
Sepia officinalis; Sepia hierredda
Also known as
Common cuttlefish, giant African cuttlefish, seiche, sepia, choco
Main origins
Senegal, Morocco, Mauritania
Availability
Year round, subject to closures
Overview
About Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are bottom dwelling cephalopods of sandy and muddy coastal shelf waters, caught alongside octopus by trawl and artisanal gear. In West Africa the larger Sepia hierredda occurs alongside Sepia officinalis. The flesh is thick, white and mildly sweet, and firmer than squid.
Supply comes from the same cephalopod fisheries as octopus in Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, much of it sea frozen by trawlers or packed by Senegalese and Moroccan plants. Spain, Italy and other Mediterranean markets are the main buyers, using it for grilling, frying, stews and rice dishes with its ink.
Key points
- Whole round, cleaned or fillets
- IQF, IWP or block frozen
- Graded by weight per piece
- Follows cephalopod closures
Origins
Where it comes from
Senegal
Trawl and artisanal catches are packed whole or cleaned by Dakar plants for fresh and frozen export.
Morocco
Caught mainly in the south, where cuttlefish fishing south of Sidi El Ghazi was closed from 1 April to 31 May in 2025.
Mauritania
Landed by the cephalopod fleet and subject to the same national closures as octopus.
Available origins vary through the year. Contact us for current availability.
Specifications
Available formats
| Product forms | Whole round, whole cleaned, fillets |
| Sizes (g per piece) | Bands set by packer, for example 50/200, 200/600, 800 up |
| Freezing | IQF, IWP or plate block; sea frozen or land frozen |
| Packing | IWP in cartons of about 10 to 12 kg; blocks in master cartons |
| Availability | Year round; Moroccan southern spring closure and Mauritanian cephalopod closures apply |
| Certifications | EU approved establishments, HACCP; health and catch certificates per shipment |
Sepia hierredda is treated by some authorities as a subspecies of Sepia officinalis; labelling should follow the importing market’s rules. Grade codes differ between packers. Specifications are typical for the trade and vary by origin and supplier. We source to your exact requirements.
Interested in Cuttlefish?
Send us your specification, volumes and destination and we will come back to you with suitable offers.