429
23 Octopus vulgaris. Paralarval Culture
increased survival and dry weight of the paralarvae at 1 month by using larger prey
(adult Artemia of up to 2 mm and spider crab zoeae). Settlement, however, was not
attained. The complete culture cycle at an experimental level was first achieved
in 2001 (Iglesias et al. 2004), using both Artemia and spider crab zoeae as live
prey. Later, Carrasco et al. (2005) achieved similar results using the same prey, but
different cultivation systems with regard to water circulation, volume, colour and
shape of tanks (see Table 23.1). Recently, research on O� vulgaris paralarval rearing has spread to many regions of Spain including Andalusia, Asturias (Carrasco
et al. 2006), Canary Islands (Hormiga et al. 2010; Feyjoo et al. 2011; Almansa et al.
2012), Catalonia (Estévez et al. 2009), Galicia (Seixas 2009; Seixas et al. 2010;
Fuentes et al. 2011) and Valencia (Viciano et al. 2011). An Italian group, Maricoltura Di Rosignano Solvay (Livorno), has also researched this field (Lenzi et al.
2006; De Wolf et al. 2011). In 2007, they successfully reared paralarvae through
to 160-day-old juveniles using enriched Artemia. More detailed information on
growth and survival rates of trials cited above is given in Sects. 23.5.3 and 23.5.4.
In 2005, an international workshop on O� vulgaris reproduction and paralarvae
rearing was held in Vigo (Spain) in order to discuss the different methods used, identify the causes of larval mortality and establish future research priorities (Iglesias
et al. 2007). A review of the biology of the planktonic stages of benthic octopuses
was later published (Villanueva and Norman 2008). An international workshop on
Latin-American cephalopod culture was held during 2008 in Puerto Montt (Chile),
the conclusions of which were published by Uriarte et al. (2011). Recently, another
workshop on cephalopod culture, organised by CIAC 2012 (Cephalopod International Advisory Council), took place in Florianópolis, Brazil, with the aim of defining the current status and research priorities of four cultured cephalopod species
( Sepia officinalis, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, Octopus maya and O� vulgaris; Vidal
et al. manuscript in elaboration).
23.2 Broodstock Conditioning
High fecundity is one of the characteristics that encourages O� vulgaris to be
considered as a serious candidate for diversification in aquaculture. According to
Mangold (1983), wild females can lay up to 500,000 eggs and, in captivity, an output of approximately 100,000 eggs per kg has been achieved (Iglesias et al. 1997).
After several decades of work on the culture of this species, there is now little
difficulty in capturing wild subadult and adult individuals, acclimatizing them to
captive conditions and obtaining viable egg masses. When keeping wild males and
females together under suitable environmental conditions and providing them with
shelters, nearly 100 % of females can mature and lay egg strings (Iglesias et al.
2007).
Welfare considerations need to be taken into account when maintaining octopus
in captivity. It has been argued that the European Union Directive 2010/63/EU on
animal welfare should be applied to cephalopod breeding and experimentation in
aquaculture research (Sykes et al. 2012). These authors suggested revisions to the
23 Octopus vulgaris. Paralarval Culture
increased survival and dry weight of the paralarvae at 1 month by using larger prey
(adult Artemia of up to 2 mm and spider crab zoeae). Settlement, however, was not
attained. The complete culture cycle at an experimental level was first achieved
in 2001 (Iglesias et al. 2004), using both Artemia and spider crab zoeae as live
prey. Later, Carrasco et al. (2005) achieved similar results using the same prey, but
different cultivation systems with regard to water circulation, volume, colour and
shape of tanks (see Table 23.1). Recently, research on O� vulgaris paralarval rearing has spread to many regions of Spain including Andalusia, Asturias (Carrasco
et al. 2006), Canary Islands (Hormiga et al. 2010; Feyjoo et al. 2011; Almansa et al.
2012), Catalonia (Estévez et al. 2009), Galicia (Seixas 2009; Seixas et al. 2010;
Fuentes et al. 2011) and Valencia (Viciano et al. 2011). An Italian group, Maricoltura Di Rosignano Solvay (Livorno), has also researched this field (Lenzi et al.
2006; De Wolf et al. 2011). In 2007, they successfully reared paralarvae through
to 160-day-old juveniles using enriched Artemia. More detailed information on
growth and survival rates of trials cited above is given in Sects. 23.5.3 and 23.5.4.
In 2005, an international workshop on O� vulgaris reproduction and paralarvae
rearing was held in Vigo (Spain) in order to discuss the different methods used, identify the causes of larval mortality and establish future research priorities (Iglesias
et al. 2007). A review of the biology of the planktonic stages of benthic octopuses
was later published (Villanueva and Norman 2008). An international workshop on
Latin-American cephalopod culture was held during 2008 in Puerto Montt (Chile),
the conclusions of which were published by Uriarte et al. (2011). Recently, another
workshop on cephalopod culture, organised by CIAC 2012 (Cephalopod International Advisory Council), took place in Florianópolis, Brazil, with the aim of defining the current status and research priorities of four cultured cephalopod species
( Sepia officinalis, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, Octopus maya and O� vulgaris; Vidal
et al. manuscript in elaboration).
23.2 Broodstock Conditioning
High fecundity is one of the characteristics that encourages O� vulgaris to be
considered as a serious candidate for diversification in aquaculture. According to
Mangold (1983), wild females can lay up to 500,000 eggs and, in captivity, an output of approximately 100,000 eggs per kg has been achieved (Iglesias et al. 1997).
After several decades of work on the culture of this species, there is now little
difficulty in capturing wild subadult and adult individuals, acclimatizing them to
captive conditions and obtaining viable egg masses. When keeping wild males and
females together under suitable environmental conditions and providing them with
shelters, nearly 100 % of females can mature and lay egg strings (Iglesias et al.
2007).
Welfare considerations need to be taken into account when maintaining octopus
in captivity. It has been argued that the European Union Directive 2010/63/EU on
animal welfare should be applied to cephalopod breeding and experimentation in
aquaculture research (Sykes et al. 2012). These authors suggested revisions to the