Evidence of external digestion of crustaceans in Octopus vulgaris paralarvae

Abstract

This paper reports, for the first time, the existence of external digestion of decapod larvae by the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris (Mollusca: Cephalopoda), paralarvae. Zoeae of three crab species were externally digested, leaving a whole and empty exoskeleton. The attack sequence on these prey is also described, and divided into the same three phases (attention, positioning and seizure) already known for Sepia hatchlings.