Importance of Cephalopod Health and Welfare for the Commercial Sector

Abstract

We witness the expansion of cephalopod fisheries and their growing importance in the world’s fisheries production. Despite this, only 4 of the 28 taxonomic families are commercially exploited. The rational exploitation of resources could provide large quantities of high-quality cephalopods and would only require further development in harvesting techniques. The intrinsic nutritional value of the cephalopods and the progress of extraction and processing technologies would allow for an expansion of the range of products attractive to consumers, including current non-commercial species. This atlas presents a review of general pathology in octopus, cuttlefish, and squid from different regions of the world. This topic is closely linked to food safety concerns, and it can also be considered a tool for assessing the state of populations. This review provides a resource for teaching and guidance in universities, research centers, public and private laboratories, processing and transformation companies, as well as for administrations in their legislative processes.