63
4 Historical Review of Cephalopods Culture
towards the acceptance of food was recorded. If fed sufficient quantities, octopuses
would prefer crustaceans to fish.
Van Heukelem (1977) introduced O� maya as a better laboratory animal than
other cephalopods due to its larger eggs and easier rearing and maintenance. In this
work, he described how to collect, ship and incubate eggs. He also described rearing conditions such as temperature (21.8–26.7 °C), the use of egg incubators, tank
volumes (20–120 L) and its maintenance and the use of several food items according to age (live brine shrimp, crabs, amphipods and isopods during the first month
and frozen afterwards).
Together with Richard, Pascual (1978) was one of the first researchers who cultured S� officinalis for more than one generation, collecting, in this way, valuable
information regarding growth, feeding and different water parameters in inbred
populations. This study was one of the first to be performed aiming ultimately at
mass production, for human consumption, of a given cephalopod species. Information on how to assemble an open seawater system with water temperature regulation and security alarms, plus switches, was given. In addition, the types of tanks
were described considering their use for rearing all life stages of cuttlefish, with
the exception of the egg stage (which was performed in a closed system). Data on
embryonic development periods for the species at different culture temperatures (30
days for 22.5 °C and 54 days for 17 °C) as well as thermal tolerance of eggs were
reported. This was one of the first studies reporting the removal of enriched environments in the tanks to avoid problems with food remains leading to deterioration,
which were reported later by other authors for this and other cephalopod species.
Several prey types were tested for the hatchling stage, such as mysid species ( Diamysis bahirensis and Mesodopsis slabberi), grass shrimp ( Palaemonetes varians)
and Artemia spp., P� varians being the prey generating the best results in survival.
This study also reported urethane (0.3–0.5 %) as an anaesthetic for the manipulation
of cuttlefish. Under these conditions, individuals of 150–200 g were obtained in 4
months, displaying a food conversion efficiency of 40–45 % (from 2.2 to 2.5 kg of
food to attain 1.0 kg of cuttlefish).
Boletzky (1979a) used 50 L round covered tanks (PVC or plexiglass), under continuous light (fluorescent white), in an open seawater system to test the acceptance
of different prey types and prey quantities. Mysids, artemia and amphipods were
tested for hatchlings, with a clear preference for mysids, palaemonid and crangonid
prawns. Very small crabs and small fish were assessed for cuttlefish juveniles and
larger fish, prawns and crabs for subadults and adults. The same author (Boletzky
1979b) also reported extremely high mortality rates in L� vulgaris paralarvae when
fed mysids under continuous light conditions.
Detailed information on the reproduction of I� illecebrosus in captivity, performed in
the Aquatron pool (system described by O’Dor et al. (1977)), was reported by Durward
et al. (1979); while Hulet et al. (1979) described fin damage of several squid species
( D� pealeii, D� plei, Lolliguncula brevis and D� opalescens) during capture, transport
and maintenance or rearing in the 1,000 L circular tanks and 10,000 L raceway tanks of
a closed seawater system at the National Resource Center for Cephalopods (NRCC).
4 Historical Review of Cephalopods Culture
towards the acceptance of food was recorded. If fed sufficient quantities, octopuses
would prefer crustaceans to fish.
Van Heukelem (1977) introduced O� maya as a better laboratory animal than
other cephalopods due to its larger eggs and easier rearing and maintenance. In this
work, he described how to collect, ship and incubate eggs. He also described rearing conditions such as temperature (21.8–26.7 °C), the use of egg incubators, tank
volumes (20–120 L) and its maintenance and the use of several food items according to age (live brine shrimp, crabs, amphipods and isopods during the first month
and frozen afterwards).
Together with Richard, Pascual (1978) was one of the first researchers who cultured S� officinalis for more than one generation, collecting, in this way, valuable
information regarding growth, feeding and different water parameters in inbred
populations. This study was one of the first to be performed aiming ultimately at
mass production, for human consumption, of a given cephalopod species. Information on how to assemble an open seawater system with water temperature regulation and security alarms, plus switches, was given. In addition, the types of tanks
were described considering their use for rearing all life stages of cuttlefish, with
the exception of the egg stage (which was performed in a closed system). Data on
embryonic development periods for the species at different culture temperatures (30
days for 22.5 °C and 54 days for 17 °C) as well as thermal tolerance of eggs were
reported. This was one of the first studies reporting the removal of enriched environments in the tanks to avoid problems with food remains leading to deterioration,
which were reported later by other authors for this and other cephalopod species.
Several prey types were tested for the hatchling stage, such as mysid species ( Diamysis bahirensis and Mesodopsis slabberi), grass shrimp ( Palaemonetes varians)
and Artemia spp., P� varians being the prey generating the best results in survival.
This study also reported urethane (0.3–0.5 %) as an anaesthetic for the manipulation
of cuttlefish. Under these conditions, individuals of 150–200 g were obtained in 4
months, displaying a food conversion efficiency of 40–45 % (from 2.2 to 2.5 kg of
food to attain 1.0 kg of cuttlefish).
Boletzky (1979a) used 50 L round covered tanks (PVC or plexiglass), under continuous light (fluorescent white), in an open seawater system to test the acceptance
of different prey types and prey quantities. Mysids, artemia and amphipods were
tested for hatchlings, with a clear preference for mysids, palaemonid and crangonid
prawns. Very small crabs and small fish were assessed for cuttlefish juveniles and
larger fish, prawns and crabs for subadults and adults. The same author (Boletzky
1979b) also reported extremely high mortality rates in L� vulgaris paralarvae when
fed mysids under continuous light conditions.
Detailed information on the reproduction of I� illecebrosus in captivity, performed in
the Aquatron pool (system described by O’Dor et al. (1977)), was reported by Durward
et al. (1979); while Hulet et al. (1979) described fin damage of several squid species
( D� pealeii, D� plei, Lolliguncula brevis and D� opalescens) during capture, transport
and maintenance or rearing in the 1,000 L circular tanks and 10,000 L raceway tanks of
a closed seawater system at the National Resource Center for Cephalopods (NRCC).