Have you ever thought about

octopus?

Grisel RodrÍguez Ferrer Jonathan Hernández Acevedo

Craig Lilyestrom Sports and Recreational Fisheries Division

© Schärer

Background

1%

99%

Total pounds reported 1983-2014 DNER-CSP

Total pounds of octopus landed

Total pounds (finfish +shellfish)

Reported octopus landings DNER-CSP (1983-2014)

-

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Tota

l rep

orte

d po

unds

Year

Percentage of octopus landings per coast reported to the DNER CSP (1983-2014)

NORTH 5% EAST

4%

SOUTH 76%

WEST 15%

Total number of pounds per year reported for the south coast of Puerto Rico (1983-2014)

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000 19

83

1984

19

85

1986

19

87

1988

19

89

1990

19

91

1992

19

93

1994

19

95

1996

19

97

1998

19

99

2000

20

01

2002

20

03

2004

20

05

2006

20

07

2008

20

09

2010

20

11

2012

20

13

2014

Tota

l num

ber o

f po

unds

Year

To describe the octopus fishery

Objective

Methodology •  Camuy to Peñuelas •  September 2016-June 2017

Methodology

Fisher Buyer

•  Fish markets •  Boat ramps •  Shore

Business •  Restaurants •  Kiosk

Point of Sales Capture

Fisher Interview •  Questions

– Age – Fishing mode – Duration – Capturing site – Equipment – Frequency – Species identification – Disposition

Point of Sales •  Questions

–  Business type –  Octopus origin

•  % Imported vs Local •  $ Imported vs Local

–  Is there a season? •  Restaurants and kiosk

–  How is it prepared? –  How much is sold per day, per week?

RESULTS

THE FISHER

Results

•  30 fishers – 5 were dedicated octopus fishers

•  Age 40 to 70 yrs. •  Capture gear: Garampín o bichero (hooks) •  Depth: 1-30 feet •  Zone: Rocky shore and Cays.

Results

Results •  30 octopus fishers

5 3 with fishing license and reporting 1 expired license

2 Not licensed

•  Sold directly to business or particular clients; not to fish market.

•  25 fishers- –  Personal consumption. –  To be used as bait.

The octopus species

Octopus vulgaris •  Common octopus •  Maximum length -3 ft. (1.3 m) (Roper

et al 1984) •  Max weight- 22 lbs. (10 kg) Roper et

al. (1984) •  Habitat-rocky zones, reefs and sea

grass beds •  Diurnal habits (Humann, P. &

Deloach, N., 2002) •  Depth- 1-650 ft (0-200m) •  Between 100,000 and 500,000 eggs

(Anderson and Wood, 2012). •  Planktonic larvae (40 days) •  Most abundant species in commercial

fisheries worldwide (Josupeit, H., 2008).

Results •  A total of 120 octopus were measured

–  118 were O. vulgaris

Weight (kg)

Mantle length (mm)

Head length (mm)

Total length (mm)

Average 0.65 77.1 34.2 382.4 Minimum 0.14 20 10 210 Maximum 1.36 140 65 620

Octopus less that 200 mm were not allowed to be measured.

Disposition: bait

Size frequency distribution of O. vulgaris

0

2

4

6

8

10

12 20

0 22

0 24

0 26

0 28

0 30

0 32

0 34

0 36

0 38

0 40

0 42

0 44

0 46

0 48

0 50

0 52

0 54

0 56

0 58

0 60

0 62

0 64

0

Freq

uenc

y

Total length (mm)

Octopus briareus •  Generally known as the “Ethical octopus”

–  It has several common names: pulpo manta, pulpo elástico o gigante y pulpo barraclava.

•  Max. length- 3 ft. (100 cm) Roper et al (1984)

•  Max. weight- 3 lb. (1.5 kg) •  Habitat- mainly reefs, but also in rocky

zones and sea grass beds •  Nocturnal habits- (Humann and Deloach

2002) •  Depth- 1-75 ft. (0-22 m) •  Between 150 y 950 eggs (10-14 mm)

(Anderson and Wood, 2012). •  No planktonic larvae (Mather et al, 2010).

Results

•  2 individuals O. briareus

Sample Weight (kg)

Mantle length (mm)

Head length (mm)

Total length (mm)

1 0.45 50 45 492

2 0.27 48 22 390

Results

•  Some fishers identify O. vulgaris as the male and O. briareus as the female of the same species.

•  O. briareus has several common names: – South-Ético – Cabo Rojo-Barraclava – North-west-Pulpo gigante o pulpo

elástico.

– Camuy-Pulpo Manta.

Species identification

Coloration

• O. vulgaris-creme or dark brown

• O. briareus- blue

Coloration O. briareus O. vulgaris

Eye coloration: O. briareus O. vulgaris

Is there a season?

•  North coast : –  June-October; peak August –  Weather condition is a critical factor in this area.

•  South coast- –  October-January –  Closer to shallow areas due to a decrease in

temperature and mating.

Point of sales

Fish Markets •  19 fish market visited •  11 or 58% sold octopus •  1 mentioned it also buys imported (Spain) •  Price (retail) $5.00 per pound. •  Average sold 70 lbs. per week. •  Seasonal

Kiosks •  10 kiosks visited •  1 buys directly from fisher •  1 fish market •  Supermarket, importers, big chain commerce. •  Average sold 20 lbs. per week. •  How is it prepared?

–  Boiled for salads –  Mofongo –  Sushi –  Turnovers

Restaurants •  60 restaurants visited •  50 restaurants sold octopus on their menu •  88% buy imported octopus.

•  Spain, Vietnam, Philippines, Mexico •  9% buys local octopus. •  63.3% do not buy local octopus ever. •  Importers, food supply companies, fish markets and local fishermen •  Average sold per week 35 lbs. (maximum 200 lbs). •  How is it prepared?

–  Boiled for salads, sauces –  Mofongo –  Sushi –  Turnovers

Recommendations

•  There is a need for species identification. •  Standarized measuring protocol (Total

length? Mantle? Weight?). •  Size at sexual maturity? •  Protect by seasonal clousures? •  Cover the south east, east and north east

coast of Puerto Rico.

References •  Acosta-Jofré, M., Sahade, R., Laudien, J., & Chiappero, M. (2011). A

contribution to the understanding of phylogenetic relationships among species of the genus Octopus (Octopodidae: Cephalopoda). Scientia Marina, 76(2), 311-318. doi: 10.3989/scimar.03365.03B

•  Anderson, R. C. & Wood, J. B. (2012) Raising Baby Octopus. Drum and Croaker: A Highly Irregular Journal for the Public Aquarist, 43, 34-40. Recuperado de http://drumandcroaker.org/pdf/2012.pdf

•  Humann, P. & Deloach, N. (2002) Reef Creature Identification: Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas (2nd ed.) Florida: New World Publications.

•  Josupeit, H. (2008) WORLD OCTOPUS MARKET. GLOBEFISH Research Programme, 94, 1-65.

•  Mather, J. A., Anderson, R. C. & Wood, J. B. (2010). Octopus: The Ocean’s Intelligent Invertebrate (1st ed.) Portland‧London: Timber Press

References

•  Roper, C.F.E., M.J. Sweeney & C.E. Nauen, (1984). FAO species catalogue Vol 3. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of species of interest to fisheries. FAO Fish. Synop., 125(3), 191-223.

•  Voss, G.L., (1986). A new look at squid and octopus potential of the Caribbean. Pages 34-40 in F. Williams, ed. Proc. 37th Annual Gulf & Carib. Fish. Inst., Miami, FL, 248

Questions?