Fisheries and Aquaculture Journal
Open Access

Abstract

Effects of Different Prey and Rearing Densities on Growth and Survival of Octopus Maya Hatchlings

Carlos Rosas, Maite Mascaró, Richard Mena, Claudia Caamal-Monsreal and Pedro Domingues

The present study aims to determining the isolated and combined effects of stocking and prey densities on growth and survival of Octopus maya hatchlings both at experimental level and in a pilot scale system (8 m²; 2700 L). Octopus survival was not related to prey density. Gained wet weight resulted in a significant interaction between initial stocking density and prey density indicating that octopus growth under low and high density was affected in a different manner depending on the density in which prey were offered. Prey density did not have a significant effect on growth and octopus fed with all three prey densities gained wet weight in a similar way. Results indicate the use of culture densities of 140 octopus m^-2, and at least 0.27 g prey octopus^-1 d^-1 can be used to cultivate octopuses in small tanks. In tanks of 8m² a higher growth rate was obtained with both 25 and 50 octopus m^-2 densities were used. Survival was not affected by stocking density between 25 to 75 octopus m^-2.