Performance of formulated diets with different level of lipids and glutamate supplementation in Octopus vulgaris

Growth, feed efficiency and proximate and lipid class composition of subadults Octopus vulgaris (788 ± 133 g; 18.5°C) fed formulated diets of low lipid (LL: 8 g kg^?1) and high lipid levels (HL: 84 g kg^?1) and each one of these with three different levels of glutamate supplementation (0, 5 and 20 g kg^?1) were compared. All the animals accepted the diets with a survival of 100%. The addition of glutamate did not stimulate feeding rates in any of the assays (2.48–2.64 and 1.86–2.01%Body weight day^?1 for LL and HL, respectively; P > 0.05). The best growth, feed efficiency and protein productive value were observed in the groups fed 5 or 20 g kg^?1 glutamate supplementation at both lipid levels, with significant differences for LL diet (P < 0.05). A better feed efficiency was achieved with the HL diet (14.6–27.5% vs. 2.5–19.2% for LL diet). There were no significant differences in the proximate composition of carcass (animal excluding the digestive gland). However, a substantial amount of lipids accumulated in the digestive gland, mainly triglycerides, was detected as a consequence of higher lipid ingestion or glutamate supplementation. It was notable the lower percentages of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine in the digestive gland of animals with best growth.     

长蛸体尺与重量性状间相关关系的研究

为了解长蛸体尺和重量性状之间的相关关系。挑选同批采捕的体重在200 g左右的长蛸95只,测量胴长、胴宽、头长、头宽、漏斗长、漏斗宽、第一、二、三、四腕的长、腕间膜、体积等12个体尺性状,以及体重、净肉重2个重量性状,采用相关分析,计算了各性状间的相关系数。结果表明：胴性状、头性状、漏斗性状间都存在极显著相关(P<0.01),各腕性状间也存在极显著相关(P<0.01),相关系数最大值出现在体重和净肉重之间(0.983),其次为体积与体重之间(0.979)。利用曲线回归建立了体重预测净肉重的最优模型：Wr=0.981Wt0.9843 (R2=0.9706)。     

Effective use of glucose rather than starch in formulated semimoist diets of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris)

The aim of the present work was to test the capacity of Octopus vulgaris to use carbohydrates supplied in three diets: a diet without added carbohydrates (diet C0: 500 g kg^?1 water, 200 g kg^?1 gelatine, 100 g kg^?1 egg yolk powder, 50 g kg^?1 freeze‐dried Sardinella aurita and 150 g kg^?1 freeze‐dried Todarodes sagittatus) and two obtained by substituting 50 g kg^?1 of T. sagittatus by glucose (diet GLU50) or by starch (diet STA50). The most stable and best‐accepted diet was STA50 (SFR 1.26%BW day^?1) although there were no significant differences in the growth rates obtained with the three diets: 10.12 g day^?1, 9.37 g day^?1 and 11.22 g day^?1 for C0, GLU50 and STA50, respectively (P > 0.05). The feed efficiency indices were better for GLU50, of particular note being the protein productive value of 71.88% and a feed conversion ratio lower than 1. Protein and lipid digestibility were similar in all the three diets (96–98% for proteins and 85–94% for lipids), whereas carbohydrate digestibility was higher in GLU50 (98%) than in C0 (84%) and STA50 (0.33%). The content of carbohydrates increased in muscle and the digestive gland as a consequence of the increased carbohydrates intake.     

Mucus characterisation in the Octopus vulgaris skin throughout its life cycle

The development of the epidermis of octopus, Octopus vulgaris, throughout its life cycle was studied by conventional staining and histochemical techniques using lectins. The mantle, the arm and the two parts of the suckers: the infundibulum and the acetabulum were analysed independently. With the exception of the suckers, the general morphology of the epidermis does not vary from the first days post-hatching to adulthood. In general terms, histochemical techniques do not indicate changes in the composition of glycoconjugates of the epidermis main cells, epithelial and secretory cells. The epithelial cells of the mantle and arm show positivity for mannose (ConA+) in their apical portions, indicating the presence of n-glycoproteins that, among other things, provide lubrication to the surface of the body. In the suckers, the apical surface of the infundibulum contains sulphated glycosaminoglycans of the N-acetylglucosamine type that provide adhesive properties. In addition to observing three types of mucocytes, m1 and m2 are characteristic of the mantle and arm, and m3 is found in the suckers. The paralarva epidermis is characterised by the presence of Kölliker's organs whose exact function is unknown. In this study, the absence of staining with alcian blue/periodic acid–Schiff(AB/PAS) prevents the possibility of attributing a secretory function. Nevertheless, the linkage of three lectins (WGA, LEL and GSL-I) in the fascicle of the organ suggests the presence of proteoglycans rich in N-acetylglucosamine that would mainly have a structural role.     

基于微卫星亲权鉴定技术的短蛸性选择研究

为研究短蛸(Octopus ocellatus)的性选择行为,本研究利用14个多态性微卫星标记,对3个母本、176个子代及17个候选父本进行亲权鉴定,对3个家系中有子代和无子代雄蛸、子代比例高和子代比例低的雄蛸的各形态参数进行t检验,并对子代比例高和子代比例低的父本与母本的遗传相似性与遗传距离进行分析。结果显示,短蛸为多雌多雄的交配模式,为真正意义的雌性混交动物;雄蛸有无子代与其形态参数无相关性;子代比例与父本的形态大小参数无关,而与父母本的遗传相似性和遗传距离有关,父母本遗传相似性越高,遗传距离越小,后代比例越高。本研究为揭示短蛸交配前后的性选择机制提供了重要线索,也为海洋头足类动物的性选择机制研究提供了基础资料。     

长蛸脑显微结构及视腺的超微结构

为研究长蛸神经系统结构及神经调控机制,通过解剖学和石蜡组织切片技术对长蛸的脑部结构进行观察。结果显示,以食道为参照,根据所处位置将脑分为3部分:食道上神经团、食道下神经团以及位于食道上下神经团两侧的视叶区。食道上神经团包含垂直叶、上额叶、下额叶、前基底叶和后基底叶,食道下神经团包含腕叶、足叶、巨细胞叶、色素细胞叶、内脏叶、外套内脏叶和血管舒缩叶,视叶区包含视神经、视叶、视腺、嗅叶、脑脚叶和视神经束。采用石蜡组织切片、光镜和透射电镜技术对视腺进行显微和超显微结构观察,结果发现视腺外有一层结缔组织包裹,位于视神经束区上,与嗅叶和脑脚叶相邻;内部可观察到大量分泌细胞,细胞核较大,直径范围为4～8μm;分泌细胞含有丰富的粗面内质网、高尔基体及高尔基体分泌的分泌小泡与大泡。研究表明,长蛸视腺结构特征与曼氏无针乌贼和真蛸的高度相似。     

Effects of a dry pelleted diet on growth and survival of the Yucatan octopus, Octopus maya

The effect of a dry pelleted diet on growth of the Yucatan octopus (Octopus maya) was determined and compared with crab diet (Callinectes spp). Two groups of 15 wild collected animals were used. Octopuses were placed in isolation, in a flow‐through system composed of 30 circular tanks (80 L), with a bottom of 40 cm in diameter and a water depth of 80 cm. Experiment lasted 40 days, and octopuses were weighed every 10 days to determine growth rates. Octopuses were fed between 7% and 10% body weight (BW) per day, twice a day at 9:00 h and 17:00 h. Uneaten food was removed after 4 h in the tanks and weighed, to determine food ingestion and conversion. No mortality as a result of natural causes was observed. The 15 octopuses fed on frozen crabs and the 15 fed on the artificial diet had similar weights (P > 0.05) at the start of the experiment, of 486.2 ± 214.8 and 472.5 ± 228.3 g, respectively. At the end of the experiment, octopuses fed on frozen crabs weighed 1466.5 ± 484.0 g, and were significantly larger (P < 0.05), than octopuses fed on artificial diets (438.9 ± 202.6 g). Growth rates for the experiment were of 3.3 ± 0.2 and –0.0 ± 0.3% BW per day, for octopuses fed frozen crabs and the artificial diet, respectively. The artificial diet did not promote growth, but animals did not loose weight and more important, ate regularly all the food supplied, with feeding rates higher than reported in the literature for prepared diets. This makes O. maya a good research animal for the development of artificial diets for cephalopods.     

Effects of feeding with different live preys on the lipid composition,growth and survival of Octopus vulgaris paralarvae

To move forward in the farming of Octopus vulgaris paralarvae, it is necessary to search for a live prey easy to obtain and maintain in the laboratory that meets the nutritional requirements of the octopus paralarvae and adapts to its predatory behaviour. Grapsus adscensionis zoeae (Crustacea, Decapoda) seems to fulfil most of these targets, and it was herein used to deepen knowledge of paralarvae lipid requirements and composition, growth and survival. To this purpose, the effects of feeding with Grapsus zoeae as sole prey were compared with Artemia at two different stages (nauplii and juveniles), which also differed in their lipid profiles. After 15 days of feeding, the best growth and survival of paralarvae was obtained in the Grapsus group, and no differences were observed between both Artemia groups. Triacylglycerides storage in paralarvae seemed to be co‐related with a lower growth and survival, but not with its prey levels. Contrarily, sterol ester levels were higher in paralarvae fed Grapsus, reflecting its content in the prey. The best paralarval viability was related to higher levels of 22:6n‐3 (DHA) and 20:4n‐6 (ARA), also reflecting its higher content in the prey. On the other hand, neither the 20:5n‐3 (EPA) levels in the prey nor in paralarvae were related to growth or survival. The implications of these results are discussed considering the lipid requirements of O. vulgaris paralarvae.     

Nucleic acids and fatty acids of the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, in relation to the growth rate

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the ribonucleic acid (RNA)/deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ratio and the fatty acid composition of cultured Octopus vulgaris (50–750 g) in relation to recent (last 30 days) specific growth rate (SGR). Wild animals (80–500 g), collected in the field throughout the year (Aegean Sea, Mediterranean), were also examined for the aforementioned biochemical parameters. Octopuses were reared in a closed seawater system at three different temperatures (15, 20 and 25 °C). The octopuses were fed on squid (Loligo vulgaris). The cultured animals showed a high n‐3 (33–52.9%) and n‐6 (3.3–13.7%) polyunsaturated fatty acid content, but with a high variation for 22:6n‐3 [docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)], 20:5n‐3 [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)] and 20:4n‐6 [arachidonic acid (AA)]. The proportion of these fatty acids (% total fatty acids) and the RNA/DNA ratio were linearly (P<0.0001) related to SGR. Specifically, RNA/DNA (0.5–1.9) and AA (2.7–10.7%) increased, while EPA (10.4–19.7%) and DHA (20.8–31.9%) decreased, with increasing SGR (0.4–1.7% day⁻¹). The highest levels of SGR, RNA/DNA and AA were detected in small (50–150 g) octopuses reared at 20 and 25 °C and in large (500–750 g) animals reared at 15 °C. Similar RNA/DNA levels and fatty acid percentages were found in wild octopuses. It is concluded that RNA/DNA, DHA, EPA and AA could be used as biochemical indices for predicting the growth rate of O. vulgaris.     

Octopus as predators of abalone on a sea ranch

This study examined the occurrence of octopus across an abalone, Haliotis laevigata, Donovan, sea ranch in south‐western Australia, to understand how octopus may be impacting abalone production. Commercial divers removed 654 octopus and 17,666 empty abalone shells during regular, 2 to 4‐weekly surveys over 27 months. A negative binomial generalised linear model estimated a 78% increase in empty shells per artificial abalone habitat per day, when octopuses were present, after adjusting for location and season. Of the 408 shells examined for evidence of predation, 19% had a small, slightly ovoid hole consistent with those made by octopus. The mean (± 1 SE) length of shells with boreholes (70.3 ± 2.2 mm) was significantly longer than those without (59.8 ± 0.5 mm), and boreholes were concentrated over the adductor, respiratory organs and heart. This study provides important insights into the adaptable feeding regimes of octopus and their potential to impose strong top‐down controls on sea ranching operations.