Aspects of the growth of cultured cuttlefish Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus 1758)

Feeding rates, growth rates and feed efficiency ratios were studied in experimentally reared juvenile cuttlefish Sepia officinalis which had been hatched from eggs collected from three different locations, Plymouth, North Wales and Southampton. Groups of newly hatched cuttlefish were either maintained at 19°C and well fed (experiment 1) or were maintained at ambient seawater temperature (7-16°C) with little food for 6 months so that their development was delayed and then transferred to optimum conditions (experiment 2). In the first investigation (expt 1), no significant differences in growth rates (3.72+/-0.08%, 3.75+/-0.04% and 3.55+/-0.04% body weight (BW) day-1 respectively), feeding rates (9.53+/-0.36%, 9.28+/-0.36% and 8.95+/-0.37% BW day-1 respectively) and feed efficiency ratios (38.11+/-1.67%, 40.52+/-1.78% and 39.96+/-1.78% respectively) were observed between cuttlefish from the 3 locations. During the second investigation (expt 2), cuttlefish, whose development was initially delayed after hatching and then were stimulated to grow under optimum conditions (19°C and fed), showed growth rates (3.46+/-0.08% BW day-1) similar to those held under optimum conditions of seawater temperature (19°C) and food supply shortly after hatching. Feeding rates and feed efficiency ratios were however significantly higher in cuttlefish maintained at 19°C compared to 11°C (8.27+/-0.14% BW day-1, 41.25+/-0.52% and 2.75+/-0.09% BW day-1, 24.87+/-1.87% respectively).