Nutrition as a key factor for cephalopod aquaculture

Abstract

Cephalopods are fast-growing animals, active swimmers and top predators, which require substantial amounts of food. As such, they show high metabolic rates dependent on a carnivorous diet, thus hypothetically linked to a predominant amino acid metabolism. Their body composition is mainly constituted by high levels of total protein, and their lipids, although quantitatively low, reveal the presence of substantial amounts of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. All in all, little is known about their nutritional requirements, especially during the early stages, very prone to high mortalities under culture. This chapter is a brief account of key information concerning relevant points linked to the nutritional requirements that cephalopods have for proteins, lipids, carotenoids, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Moreover, some considerations on populational metabolism are also presented.