384
C. Rosas et al.
Keywords Octopus maya · Culture conditions · Broodstock · Hatchling production ·
Embryonic development
20.1 Introduction
20.1.1 Importance of this Species in the Market
The Mexican four-eyed octopus, Octopus maya (Voss and Solís-Ramírez 1966), is
endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula. The species occurs in the states of Campeche,
Yucatán and Quintana Roo (ranging from the waters off Ciudad del Carmen to those
beyond Isla Mujeres). The O� maya fishery generates 15,000 jobs and is worth more
than 27 million dollars annually (Jurado-Molina 2010), making it one the most socioeconomically important cephalopod species in America. Presently, the yearly
fisheries production varies between 10,000 and 20,000 t, only in the Yucatán Peninsula, México. Eighty percent of the catch is exported to Europe and Asia, generating a major economy for the Yucatán region. Voss and Solis (1966) found that O�
maya, after O� hummelincki, is the second described ocellated species of the tropical
western Atlantic with large eggs, with embryos that hatch as holobenthic juveniles.
The O� maya fishery was established in 1949 and has since expanded across the
distributional range of the species. On a regional scale, O� maya is the main component of octopus catches, representing 63 % of the landings in 2004 (Pérez et al. 2006).
The increasing economic importance of this fishery has resulted in a steady increase
of people joining the fishery each year, with spillover effects to coastal communities
of the peninsula. Increasing demand for this resource has also resulted in social conflict among fishing communities throughout the peninsula. Some advocate local-scale
fishing (i.e. fishing in areas close to their communities), while others defend “chasing” the resource wherever it is found (personal communications from fishermen). In
the apparent absence of any physical or biological barriers, the species is currently
regarded as a single population and is managed as a single stock (Begg et al. 1999).
20.1.2 O. maya Culture at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
and Marine Biomedical Institute of University of Texas
Since the 1960s, O� maya has been the focus of research attention from researchers in Mexico and the USA. Following Voss and Solis’ (1966) work on the taxonomic description of the species, Walker et al. (1970) reported the first study on O�
maya on the improvement of culture conditions, maintaining and training octopus
in laboratory conditions. In this study, Walker et al. (1970) found that O� maya does
not escape from an uncovered tank after being in the laboratory for a few hours,
except when it is hungry or when it is being studied in an aversive experimental
situation (involving oxygen deprivation or shock) or when the seawater is foul. They
also found that a mean number of four crabs (mean weight: 4.1 g per crab) were
C. Rosas et al.
Keywords Octopus maya · Culture conditions · Broodstock · Hatchling production ·
Embryonic development
20.1 Introduction
20.1.1 Importance of this Species in the Market
The Mexican four-eyed octopus, Octopus maya (Voss and Solís-Ramírez 1966), is
endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula. The species occurs in the states of Campeche,
Yucatán and Quintana Roo (ranging from the waters off Ciudad del Carmen to those
beyond Isla Mujeres). The O� maya fishery generates 15,000 jobs and is worth more
than 27 million dollars annually (Jurado-Molina 2010), making it one the most socioeconomically important cephalopod species in America. Presently, the yearly
fisheries production varies between 10,000 and 20,000 t, only in the Yucatán Peninsula, México. Eighty percent of the catch is exported to Europe and Asia, generating a major economy for the Yucatán region. Voss and Solis (1966) found that O�
maya, after O� hummelincki, is the second described ocellated species of the tropical
western Atlantic with large eggs, with embryos that hatch as holobenthic juveniles.
The O� maya fishery was established in 1949 and has since expanded across the
distributional range of the species. On a regional scale, O� maya is the main component of octopus catches, representing 63 % of the landings in 2004 (Pérez et al. 2006).
The increasing economic importance of this fishery has resulted in a steady increase
of people joining the fishery each year, with spillover effects to coastal communities
of the peninsula. Increasing demand for this resource has also resulted in social conflict among fishing communities throughout the peninsula. Some advocate local-scale
fishing (i.e. fishing in areas close to their communities), while others defend “chasing” the resource wherever it is found (personal communications from fishermen). In
the apparent absence of any physical or biological barriers, the species is currently
regarded as a single population and is managed as a single stock (Begg et al. 1999).
20.1.2 O. maya Culture at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology
and Marine Biomedical Institute of University of Texas
Since the 1960s, O� maya has been the focus of research attention from researchers in Mexico and the USA. Following Voss and Solis’ (1966) work on the taxonomic description of the species, Walker et al. (1970) reported the first study on O�
maya on the improvement of culture conditions, maintaining and training octopus
in laboratory conditions. In this study, Walker et al. (1970) found that O� maya does
not escape from an uncovered tank after being in the laboratory for a few hours,
except when it is hungry or when it is being studied in an aversive experimental
situation (involving oxygen deprivation or shock) or when the seawater is foul. They
also found that a mean number of four crabs (mean weight: 4.1 g per crab) were