Why is it that you never hear of the pharoah cuttlefish in the pet traade, is it hard to keep, what tempurature does it need, id it hard to breed, Ive heard they lay 1500 eggs, is that true, and if so how many would hatch and survive?

They get pretty big.

AM just won the understatement of the year competition, and we're only January :wink:

They get about 1.5 ft in mantle length... in other words, BIG... The NRCC has cultured them through multiple generations.

but i thought officinales got to be 1.5 ft in legnth as well, but they are still in the pet trade often enough

Sepia pharaonis can grow larger and will also grow much quicker due to the increased temperature requirements. As a result, S. pharaonis tend to require more food, have shorter life spans, etc. Sepia officinalis can also grow large but rarely do unless in solitary confinement. Sepia officinalis are kept at much cooler temperatures which means a slower growth rate, and a longer life span etc.

As far as reproduction, I would say that both require similar husbandry in that regards and one is not more difficult to breed than another.

I am not sure if that really answers your question but I am sure that life span may play a role in that regard; six months is much different than 12-18 months.

Greg