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Article: Growth and survival of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) of fed shrimp vs. fish

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I found this article about feeding cuttlefish live vs. frozen and shrimp vs. fish.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=ce19adaed282bd04503cabd82a3676fd

Growth and survival of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) of different ages fed crustaceans and fish. Effects of frozen and live prey

Pedro Dominguesa, António Sykesa, Anne Sommerfieldb, Eduardo Almansac, António Lorenzoc and José P. Andradea

Abstract
Three feeding experiments, using live mysid shrimp, grass shrimp or fish fry as prey for 1-, 30- and 60-day-old cuttlefish were conducted to determine the efficiency of each dietary source in relation to cuttlefish size and age. Additionally, a fourth experiment using fish fry and grass shrimp, but previously frozen, was also conducted. The results showed that when 1-day-old cuttlefish were fed mysids, grass shrimp or fish for 4 weeks, mysids were the best prey, but only during the first week. From this moment until the end of the experiment, the best growth rate was when cuttlefish were fed grass shrimp. Cuttlefish fed fish fry showed the poorest growth rate throughout the experiment. Similarly, cuttlefish aged 30 or 60 days fed grass shrimp or fish fry had the best growth rates when fed grass shrimp. When cuttlefish were fed live fish, survival increased with size of cuttlefish (73.3%, 91.7% and 100% for 1, 30 and 60 days cuttlefish, respectively). In the fourth experiment, using frozen diets, overall acceptance of each diet (feeding rates) was the same for fish and shrimp. However, lower growth was obtained when cuttlefish were fed fish compared to grass shrimp. This lower growth was due to a lower food conversion (28% vs. 41%). Since cephalopod paralarvae and juvenile most likely need prey rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), phospholipids and cholesterol, and a moderate content in neutral lipids, we have analyzed the biochemical compositions of the different prey to evaluate the influence of this factor on growth and survival.
 
CG,
Interesting but not surprising that this was the same basic outcome of the study I saw on octopuses (in that case it was fish vs crab). Did you get to read any more of the article? I was curious about live vs frozen shrimp growth rates.
 
Here is another, more recent article.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=7bdad556b504324dbf87b4f53cacbd9a
The effects of feeding with shrimp or fish fry on growth and mantle lipid composition of juvenile and adult cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)

Eduardo Almansaa, , , Pedro Dominguesa, b, António Sykesb, c, Noemi Tejerac, António Lorenzoc and José P. Andradeb

Abstract
In the present study, cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) aged 60-day-old (age-group I) and 120-day-old (age-group II) were fed with live shrimp and live fish fry for 60 days, in order to study the diet influence on growth, mantle lipid composition, and astaxanthin content in the skin. The most noteworthy difference was the higher growth observed in shrimp-fed cuttlefish with respect to fish-fed cuttlefish in both age groups. Total lipids (TL), lipid classes (LC) and their associated fatty acids (FA) from both diets and mantle of cuttlefish were analysed. The lipid profiles of both diets were clearly different in their LC distribution, with higher levels of Polar Lipids (PL) in shrimp with respect to fish fry. However, both diets did not show outstanding differences in the FA composition of TL except for 20:5n-3 (EPA), which was higher in shrimp than in fish fry. With respect to lipid composition of cuttlefish mantle, the TL content and cholesterol (CHO) percentage increased with age, while phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) percentage decreased. On the other hand, phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and PC percentages in both cuttlefish age groups were also affected by the different diets, although this difference was higher in age-group I. The general pattern of fatty acid composition of TL in the mantle of cuttlefish was similar in all groups studied. It is remarkable the low levels of monoene FAs in both age-group cuttlefish mantle, despite of the high level of this FA group in both diets, which suggests that these FAs are not stored in the mantle. An opposite tendency was observed regarding the n-3 HUFA, especially 22:6n-3 (DHA) which remained constant despite the different age or diet. High levels of astaxanthin were found in shrimp with respect to fish, but this was only reflected on skin accumulation in age-group I, showing no differences in age-group II. This suggests differences in the astaxanthin metabolism according to the age. The results suggest that the growth differences observed in shrimp-fed cuttlefish with respect to fish-fed cuttlefish were not reflected in outstanding differences in mantle composition.
 
And yet another article, confirming what is already known anecdotally...
http://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...serid=10&md5=699f20a31aff8eef38ee280010e0a46f
Use of Amphipods as alternative prey to culture cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) hatchlings

Elena Baeza-Rojanoa, , , Sandra Garcíab, Diego Garridob, José M. Guerra-Garcíaa and Pedro Dominguesc

Received 24 November 2009; revised 28 December 2009; accepted 30 December 2009. Available online 7 January 2010.
Abstract
The effects of feeding two alternative live prey (exclusively caprellids (Caprella equilibra) or several species of gammarids, mainly Ericthonius brasiliensis, Jassa marmorata and Elasmopus sp.), to cuttlefish hatchlings were compared to feeding mysids (Mesopodopsis slabberi), which are normally used during the first weeks of the life cycle. Weight (g) and growth rates (GR, % BW d− 1) were determined. Cuttlefish hatchlings fed with mysids and gammarids grew faster (6.7 ± 0.4 and 5.7 ± 0.9% BW d− 1, respectively) compared to caprellids (1.6 ± 0.2% BW d− 1). Survival was higher (96.7 ± 5.8%) for hatchlings fed mysids, compared to 83.3 ± 15.3% and 76.7 ± 5.8%, for those fed gammarids and caprellids, respectively. According to the results obtained, gammarids could be used as an alternative prey to mysids, while Caprella equilibra did not deliver appropriate growth rates and should be disregarded as alternative prey for rearing early stages (hatchlings) of Sepia officinalis. This is the first study revealing a successful use of amphipods, mainly gammarids, as alternative prey for cuttlefish hatchlings.
 
Yummy...
I may try raising a few by only feeding live mysids for the first 1 - 2 weeks,( or if they accept the tiny amphipods right away, skipping mysids all together) then changing to the gammarids (amphipods) I catch locally. I think I mentioned in another thread that my 20g amphipod tank has hundreds of tiny babies and I may be able to harvest right out of a carbon reactor, which is where I have seen them congregate.
With the 5 adults I have right now, the one that was lost in the sump from day 3 to day 50 has had no mysids it's entire life. It is about 1/2" smaller than it's siblings, but this could be due to it's having to find it's own food in a sump I had been harvesting gammarids from, so food may have been somewhat scarce in there.
 
It's definetly interesting as most people keeping officinalis will try and get them onto dead food at the 60 day mark as it is a lot cheaper. Although in saying that I fed my ones on dead food from about day 70 and had varying sizes amongst all three, I believe habitat size pays a role too. The one that got the biggest was in a larger size tank, this is all anecdotal of course
 

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