Octopus maya being a species with direct development, high growth rate and adaptation to captive conditions make it a potential and suitable species for cultivation. In recent years, the use of semi-moist and dry feeds have allowed high survival and growth rates (Martínez et al 2014, Gallardo et al, 2020). The selection of inputs, as well as the conditions of the food preparation process have been decisive for obtaining the pelleted feed, for which in this work the results obtained from 3 experiments carried out with different diets elaborated with fish discards (Haemulon
plumieri). A control diet based on a mixture of squid and crab (Gallardo et al, 2020) was used.
For each experiment, newly hatched organisms from a single spawn (0.1 g ww) were used. The fish discards were homogenized and incorporated into a mixture with vitamins, minerals and gelatin as a binder. Three different protein hydrolysates made with discarded fish ("chac chi", "canane " Ocyurus chrysurus) and crab ( Callinectes spp ) were tested, which were incorporated into the diets for each of the experiments. The pellets (0.5 cm) were
fed (3 times day-1) for 90 days.
The survival and growth rates obtained in the three experiments were similar to those observed with the control diet (mean 65 % and 4.5 % day-1 respectively) (p>0.05). With the weight values obtained up to 90 days (average of 16.5 g), a growth projection was made, which shows that the octopuses can reach a size greater than 60 g in 150 days after hatching (Fig. 1). The results obtained indicate that fish discards added with the different proteic hydrolysates can be a good alternative for the development of food for octopus farming.
References
Gallardo P.*, .. ., and Rodriguez S. 2020. Effect of different proportions of crab and squid in semi-moist diets for Octopus maya juveniles. Aquaculture 524 735233.
.
Martínez R. , … and Carlos Rosas. 2014. Growth, survival and physiological condition of Octopus maya when fed a successful formulated diet. Aquaculture 426-427: 310 – 317.
Acknowledgments
This work was carried out with the support of the DGAPA-UNAM, Project PAPIIT IT 201611 under the responsibility of Dr. Pedro Gallardo