Japanese Bobtail
The Japanese Bobtail is a breed of domestic cat with an unusual "bobbed" tail more closely resembling the tail of a rabbit than that of other cats. The variety is native to Japan and Southeast Asia, though it is now found throughout the world. The breed has been known in Japan for centuries, and it frequently appears in traditional folklore and art.
As in most other breeds, Japanese Bobtails may have almost any color (or colors, arranged in any number of patterns). Predominantly-white calicoes (三毛, mi-ke, literally 'triple-hair') are especially favored by the Japanese and by cat fanciers, and strongly represented in folklore, though other colorations are also accepted by breed standards.
History
One theory of short-tailed cats in Japan indicates that they arrived from the Asian continent at least 1,000 years ago. In 1602, Japanese authorities decreed that all cats should be set free to help deal with rodents threatening the silk worms. At that time, buying or selling cats was illegal, and from then on, bobtailed cats lived on farms and in the streets. Japanese Bobtails thus became the "street cats" of Japan.
Sepiolina nipponensis
Sepiolina nipponensis, also known as the Japanese Bobtail Squid, is a bobtail squid and the only species in the genus Sepiolina. It is found in the Western Pacific from Japan to the Philippines and Australia.
Description
The maximum size of adult Japanese Bobtail Squid is 2.5 cm in mantle length (ML). The body consists of large fins and a short and dome-shaped mantle surrounded by an iridescent belt. The mantle cavity contains subcordate luminous organs. The arms are subequal with biserial suckers.
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