Young cuttlefish Sepia officinalis (Mollusca: Sepiidae) in the Morbihan Bay (south Brittany, France): accessory prey of predators

Abstract

Morbihan Bay, France, is an important spawning area and nursery grounds for young cuttlefish. The eggs and the young cuttlefish are subjected to predatory species of fish. These were identified by analysing the stomach contents of 26 species and two species of cephalopods. Five fish species were found to be predators of young cuttlefish. The Balistes carolinensis feeds on the eggs, and Dicentrarchus labrax, Labrus bergylta, Spondyliosoma cantharus, and Conger conger eat young cuttlefish, from 8 mm (hatching cuttlefish) to 61 mm in mantle length (cuttlefish about 4-months old).