Life cycle of pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) under laboratory condition

Pharaoh Cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) is commercially important and native cephalopods in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. In 2013, a total of 150 eggs of Pharaoh Cuttlefish were collected from 20 m depth in about 6 miles south of Lengeh Port and transferred to the laboratory of Mollusks Research Station in Bandar-e Lengeh. Eggs were incubated in temperature of 27.5±0.5 0C (mean ± SD) and salinity of about 37-38 ppt. After about 15±3 days (mean ± SD), eggs were hatched and the mean (±SD) of mantle length and wet weight of new hatched juveniles were 6.1±0.3 mm and 0.15±.04 g, respectively. In the first month, Artemia, Mysid and PL of L. vannamei shrimps were fed to juveniles and in second month it shifted to fish slices. After 30 days, average (±SD) mantle length and wet weight reached to 18.6±0.6 mm and 1.67±0.14 g, respectively. At the age of 60 days they reached to average (±SD) length of 32.3±4.2 mm and average (±SD) weight of 8.00±3.72 g. At the age of 120 days they reached to average (±SD) length of 74.5±11.3 mm and average (±SD) weight of 55.74±13.81 g. The sex was identified on the day of 150, and mate selecting occurred on 180th day, mating and spawning were occurred in days 208 and 210 of rearing period, respectively. Each female laid average (±SD) 185±30 eggs; and average (±SD) life spans for female and male were 212±7 and 218±20 days, respectively. Males were bigger than females and the biggest male reached to 157.9 mm in length and 367.10 g in weight. The biggest female reached to 105.1 mm in length and 227.18 g in weight. Results showed that Pharaoh Cuttlefish could easily be cultured under laboratory condition with possibility of rearing to the next generation after spawning.