Sepiella japonica

Abstract

The spineless cuttlefish Sepiella japonica has been cultured in China in recent years. After acclimatization to captivity, spawning induction and mating of the broodstock, the females lay eggs attaching to the artificial substratum. Seawater temperature and salinity of hatching are 20-26∈°C and 25.0-32.0 psu, respectively. The hatching period lasts for 17-26 days. Hatchlings are planktonic, with approximately 4 mm mean mantle length (ML). The initial feedings are live cladoceran, copepods and enriched Artemia nauplii. The spineless cuttlefishes are sexually mature after 90-120 days, and mating is observed after that. Twenty-thousand mature individuals are obtained, and survival rate from the juvenile to adult phase is about 60∈%. The mean weight of adult is 100 g. ML is 50 mm in the smallest sexually mature individual. Spawning occurs as early as day 120. The amount of spawned eggs is 300-500 per individual.