LAND BASED GROW OUT OF OCTOPUS TETRICUS IN INTENSIVE AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS
Growing out octopus in sea cages and/or onshore tanks is gaining popularity in Europe and Latin America. Commonly, the grow-out systems involve the use of 'hides', usually PVC pipes that supply shelter to individual octopus.
Although positive growth has been reported and marketable individuals obtained, these grow-out methods achieved relatively low biomass (up to 15 kg/m3, Chapla et al., 2006, Socorro et al., 2005, Domingues et al., 2007). The systems are hard to clean and harvest and promote territorialism and cannibalism amongst individuals. To address these issues, new advanced tank-based intensive culture systems and protocols for on growing O. tetricus on a commercial scale were developed.
These systems and protocols have eliminated the need to use shelters in tanks, which has significantly reduced cannibalism and territorialism. Tanks were specifically designed and manufactured for the octopus, subsequently making them extremely easy to clean and harvest. The tanks specific design enables a unique harvest method very easy for one individual to carry out in minimal time. Grading the octopus to tight weight groups almost eliminated aggressive behavior and biomass upwards of 54 kg/m³ was achieved, which is the highest biomass, reported anywhere in the world to date. The systems can act as continuous production units which octopus at certain sizes/weights can be harvested while 'topping up' with new octopus juveniles.
New and easy to use solutions were developed to retain the octopus in the tanks eliminating escape events, without the need to cage or place lids on the tanks.
Commercial Return on Investment was developed for O. tetricus and commercial projects involving artesian fisheries in several countries are currently being developed with similar species.