Abstrait

Short comment about the octopus life cycle in the northern Alboran Sea (western Mediterranean Sea)

Maria del Carmen Garcia Martinez

Octopus vulgaris is a plastic species capable of adapting to different environmental conditions. The different phases of its life cycle seem to be highly influenced by such environmental variables. Therefore the reproductive season and the length of its embryonic and planktonic phases can differ substantially for different geographical areas. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the regions were the octopus life cycle is not yet well known. Biological data in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean) in the present work show the existence of migration movements to coastal waters for the breeding season during spring and mainly during summer. Water temperature measurements show that the length of the embryonic and paralarval phases are around 120 days and new individuals incorporate to fisheries from autumn to winter. These results coincide with landings time series allowing the full description of the O. vulgaris life cycle.