LABORATORY REARING AND BREEDING OF SPINELESS CUTTLEFISH SEPIELLA INERMIS ORBIGNY (MOLLUSCA: CEPHALOPODA)

摘要

The spineless cuttlefish Sepiella inermis was successfully reared from the egg mass collected from wild. They mated under captive conditions and spawned on 86th day at a size of 60 mm mantle length (ML) producing 214 viable eggs. Only live food organisms, consisting of mysids, shrimp post larvae, fish larvae and small fishes and shrimps formed the diet of these animals at different stages. The initial average size of hatchling was 4 mm ML (0.02 g) that increased to 26 mm (3.19 g), 48 mm (16.5 g), 64mm (46.48 g) and 69 mm (54.67 g) on 30th, 60th, 90th and 110th days respectively. Average survival was 43, 37 and 28% at the end of first, second and third months. With good water quality management and supply of required live-feed in sufficient quantity, the laboratory culture of cuttlefish is distinctly possible.