This work was carried out under a NERC grant to Peter Boyle and Martin Collins. The deep water octopus Opisthoteuthis massyae has recently been caught in appreciable numbers by French trawlers fishing in deep water off the west coast of Scotland. The reproductive biology of deep water cephalopods has, to date, received little attention.
Most cephalopods are semelparous, reproducing in one large effort at the end of the life-cycle.
Cirrate octopods appear to have a different strategy, with mature females occurring over a broad size range, indicating growth after maturity is attained, and releasing eggs singly over a considerable period. Unlike most incirrates, cirrate eggs have a tough outer shell secreted by the single functional oviducal gland. Mature females have a size range of eggs from For further information contact Peter Boyle , Martin Collins or Heather Daly .