Effects of different feed on the reproductive performance of broodstock cuttlefish, <i>Sepia pharaonis</i>

Abstract The goals of this research were to resolve the problems of low quantity and poor quality of eggs in cuttlefish aquaculture, and to provide empirical support for the development of formulated feeds. The impacts of different feeds on the quantity and quality of eggs laid by cuttlefish ( Sepia pharaonis ) were studied using three different species: Litopenaeus vannamei, Nibea albiflora , and Sillago sihama . We explored the influence of dietary composition on the quantity and quality of eggs laid. The results showed that the quantity and quality of eggs laid were significantly affected by the feed species. Compared with the feed of S. sihama and N. albiflora , the feed of L. vannamei increased the number of eggs laid by17.45% and 24.15%, the egg width by 5.05% and 5.91%, the hatching rate by 5.42% and 12.59%, and the weight of newly hatched cuttlefish by 5.05% and 5.98%, and there was no significant difference in the incubation period. The quantity and the quality (the egg width, incubation period, hatching rate, and weight of newly hatched cuttlefish) were significantly positively correlated with protein content, C18:1(n‐9), C18:2, C18:3, C20:2, C20:3, arachidonic acids (AAs), eicosapentaenoic acids (EPAs), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) of feed. These results demonstrate that L. vannamei is the optimal feed for broodstock cuttlefish during the breeding period, and that diets rich in protein and n‐3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) can enhance their reproductive performance.