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. 2023 Jun 2;13(11):1862.
doi: 10.3390/ani13111862.

Effects of Environmental Enrichment on the Behavior of Octopus vulgaris in a Recirculating Aquaculture System

Antonio Casalini  1 , Laura Gentile  1 , Pietro Emmanuele  1 , Riccardo Brusa  1 , Alberto Elmi  1 , Albamaria Parmeggiani  1 , Livio Galosi  2 , Alessandra Roncarati  2 , Oliviero Mordenti  1
Affiliations

Effects of Environmental Enrichment on the Behavior of Octopus vulgaris in a Recirculating Aquaculture System

Antonio Casalini et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Octopus vulgaris is a commercially valuable species. It is overexploited in the natural environment and is considered to be an innovative species for aquaculture. However, large-scale farming is generally designed only based on economic requirements, disregarding any form of enrichment that induces the natural behavior of aquatic species. Although many studies have shown the influence of environmental enrichment on terrestrial vertebrates, fish, and cephalopod mollusks, information on the effect of environmental enrichment on the body patterns of O. vulgaris is limited. Therefore, in this study, we assessed how different environmental conditions (Basic vs. Enriched) affect sub-adults of O. vulgaris kept in recirculation systems, through qualitative-quantitative studies of the main body patterns and their potential application in the commercial production of this species. The results indicated that octopuses kept in the enriched environment showed several body patterns and gained a significantly higher weight than those kept in the basic environment. The body patterns displayed by the individuals kept in the basic environment were similar to those exhibited under situations of hostility and inter/intra-specific conflict. Hence, the environment of octopuses needs to be enriched, especially for the large-scale production of this species.

Keywords: animal welfare; body pattern; cephalopods; common octopus; rearing environment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The effect of environment and sex on the total number of observations. The data are shown as mean ± standard deviation. Asterisks represent statistically significant differences between the environments (Basic vs. Enriched) and sex (male vs. female) (PERMANOVA; *** p < 0.01 and * p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Boxplot showing the trend in the total number of behaviors in the Enriched (green) and Basic (blue) environments at various time intervals. Significant differences between the environmental conditions at each experimental time are marked by dissimilar letters (a, b, c, d, e, f, and g) (p < 0.05).
Figure 3
Figure 3
A radar chart representing total body patterns and components exhibited in the two environments (Basic and Enriched); p < 0.05 for all behaviors/components exhibited, except for UBR, ULG, LS, and wm.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Boxplot showing the weight gain of octopuses in the Enriched (green) and Basic (blue) environments at various time intervals. Significant differences among environmental conditions at each experimental time point are shown using dissimilar letters (a, b, c, d, and e) (p < 0.05).
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