Reproductive cycle and sexual maturation of the musky octopus Eledone moschata (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) in the northern and central Adriatic Sea

Abstract

Length-weight relationships, sex ratio, maturity patterns, reproductive outputs, fecundity and spawning period of the musky octopus Eledone moschata (Lamarck, 1798) in the northern and central Adriatic Sea are presented for the first time. Samples were collected on a monthly basis by commercial bottom trawls between October 2001 and June 2003. A total of 1552 specimens were analysed (779 males, 764 females, 9 undetermined). The overall sex ratio was close to 1:1, but during summer males were dominant. Length-weight relationships calculated for each sex and the whole sample showed negative allometric growth (b

Keywords

• eledone moschata
• reproductive biology
• fecundity
• adriatic sea