Preliminary checklist of the cephalopods of the South China Sea

Despite the high fisheries profile and value of octopuses, squids, cuttlefi shes and their relatives throughout the South China Sea, there is still rel atively little known or published on this cephalopod fauna. This situation is a product of few regional revisions, the large number of species being t reated under single or inappropriate names, key families with poorly-resolv ed taxonomies and inadequate diagnostic characters, and limited support for (and development of) regional expertise. A preliminary checklist of 31 fam ilies and 120 species of cephalopods are reported here from the South China Sea. This list is generated from a review of the available literature, mat erial examined in museum collections and unpublished data of the authors. A preliminary list of incorrect, unresolved or questionable records of 70 no minal species from the region is also presented to redress some of the erro rs entrenched in the literature. There is an urgent need for comprehensive revision of this group throughout the region, including primary field surve ys, reviews of subsistence and commercial fisheries catches, and support fo r development of regional expertise.