Chan Jaroongpattananon’s research while affiliated with Phuket Marine Biological Center and other places

The bobtail squid, Euprymna hyllebergi, was cultured in the laboratory through three generations. Eggs were deposited as single egg capsules, pyramid shape with a calcified chorion. The incubation period was 14.0±1.8 days at 28°C. Hatchlings were temporarily planktonic becoming benthic after 6–8 hrs. Mean mantle length was 2.20±0.04 mm and weight 0.0041±0.0006 g. The squids were fed on larvae and postlarvae of penaeid shrimps, mysids and gobiid fish during the first month after hatching. After one month, squids were trained to accept pieces of fish meat. The squids were solitary in habit and cannibalism was observed in culture tanks. Mating and spawning was observed after 93.9±12.8 days of age. Spawning was more terminal to the life span compared to other cultured sepioid cuttlefish. Average total numbers of eggs per female was 191.3±107.4 capsules. At the age of 100 days, mean mantle length was 22.4±0.6 mm and body weight 5.88±0.17 g. Instantaneous growth rate from hatching to 100 days of age was 2.41±0.46 % by mantle length and 7.51±1.75 % by weight. Growth was similar among the three generations. Life span was average 98.9±13.6 days due to death of both sexes after the last spawning.

A cephalopod culture system is simplified in order to reduce the cost of production. An open water supply system is considered to be less laborious. The size, shape and colour of concrete tanks in the hatchery are designed from experience to suit cephalopod habits as well as other purposes. The culture protocol consists of four phases, egg and spawner collection, egg incubation, nursing and grow-out. The management techniques of large-scale aquaculture have been employed. Fourteen species of neritic cephalopods are maintained, reared and cultured in the system: three loliginids, six sepioids and five octopods, serving research activity and seed (hatchling) release for restocking programs. Four species are cultured through the complete life cycle and yield consecutive generations. About 2.1 millionseeds were annually released for restocking during the years 1990–2002. The conceptual system design for the commercial scale is proposed as five components. The components are the cephalopod hatchery, the live feed hatchery, the artificial feed plant, the grow-out facilities and the artificial spawning reef.

Age determination from gladius lamellae has been studied on bigfin reef squid, Sepioteuthis lessoniana Lesson, reared in captivity from hatching to 60 days of age. The average number of lamellae of the squid hatchling (3.99 mm ML) was 4.9±0.9. The average numbers of lamellae were 8.9±1.0, 13.5±1.2 for the squids of 5 days (5.56 mm), 10 days (8.12 mm) of age after hatching, respectively. The average numbers of lamellae were 20.9±2.2, 26.6±1.5, 28.3±1.6, 57.3±6.0 and 70.1±5.8 for the squids of 15 days (12.57 mm), 20 days (16.39 mm), 25 days (16.65 mm), 50 days (50.49 mm) and 60 days (59.95 mm) after hatching, respectively. The relationships between age (A: days) and numbers of lamellae (NL) was NL = 1.8×10-3 +0.977A +4.578 and between gladius length (GL: mm) and numbers of lamellae (NL) was NL = 1.114GL +5.399. Average temperature was 29.96±0.97 ºC.