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Chapter 19
Enteroctopus megalocyathus
Íker Uriarte and Ana Farías
J. Iglesias et al. (eds.), Cephalopod Culture, DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-8648-5_19,
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014
Í. Uriarte () · A. Farías
Instituto de Acuicultura, Sede Puerto Montt,
Universidad Austral de Chile, P.O. Box 1327, Puerto Montt, Chile
e-mail: iuriarte@uach.cl
A. Farías
e-mail: afarias@uach.cl
Abstract Advances in controlled cultivation of Patagonian red octopus Enteroctopus megalocyathus (Gould 1852) have fostered biological, physiological and nutritional studies of the species. Research on cultivation of E� megalocyathus is focused
on obtaining juveniles under controlled cultivation conditions because it would be
the only way to obtain a sustainable octopus production.
Experimental evidence indicates that it is possible to produce E� megalocyathus
juveniles to supply an ongrowing production because broodstock can be reproductively conditioned in tanks, the controlled fertilization allows to produce developing
embryos, incubation of eggs throughout the embryonic period allows the production of viable paralarvae and the rearing of paralarvae allows to successfully obtain
completely settled benthic juveniles.
Currently, further investigations are needed on the physiology and growth of this
species to determine the time and conditions required to obtain juvenile octopuses
of 50 or 100 g to start the ongrowing, and to complete the total life cycle of the
species.
Keywords Enteroctopus megalocyathus · Paralarval culture · Embryo development ·
Egg fertilization · Juvenile ongrowing
19.1 Introduction
19.1.1 State of the Art
In Chile, there are two species of octopus fit for the international market which are
similar to the common octopus Octopus vulgaris: Changos octopus ( O� mimus) and
Patagonian red octopus ( E� megalocyathus). Currently, fisheries of both species
Chapter 19
Enteroctopus megalocyathus
Íker Uriarte and Ana Farías
J. Iglesias et al. (eds.), Cephalopod Culture, DOI 10.1007/978-94-017-8648-5_19,
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014
Í. Uriarte () · A. Farías
Instituto de Acuicultura, Sede Puerto Montt,
Universidad Austral de Chile, P.O. Box 1327, Puerto Montt, Chile
e-mail: iuriarte@uach.cl
A. Farías
e-mail: afarias@uach.cl
Abstract Advances in controlled cultivation of Patagonian red octopus Enteroctopus megalocyathus (Gould 1852) have fostered biological, physiological and nutritional studies of the species. Research on cultivation of E� megalocyathus is focused
on obtaining juveniles under controlled cultivation conditions because it would be
the only way to obtain a sustainable octopus production.
Experimental evidence indicates that it is possible to produce E� megalocyathus
juveniles to supply an ongrowing production because broodstock can be reproductively conditioned in tanks, the controlled fertilization allows to produce developing
embryos, incubation of eggs throughout the embryonic period allows the production of viable paralarvae and the rearing of paralarvae allows to successfully obtain
completely settled benthic juveniles.
Currently, further investigations are needed on the physiology and growth of this
species to determine the time and conditions required to obtain juvenile octopuses
of 50 or 100 g to start the ongrowing, and to complete the total life cycle of the
species.
Keywords Enteroctopus megalocyathus · Paralarval culture · Embryo development ·
Egg fertilization · Juvenile ongrowing
19.1 Introduction
19.1.1 State of the Art
In Chile, there are two species of octopus fit for the international market which are
similar to the common octopus Octopus vulgaris: Changos octopus ( O� mimus) and
Patagonian red octopus ( E� megalocyathus). Currently, fisheries of both species