Potential biomass and distribution of octopus in the eastern part of the Campeche Bank (Yucatán, Mexico)

Abstract

The octopus fishery on the Campeche Bank (Yucatán, Mexico) is considered the third largest in the world. In Yucatán, two fleets target this resource: an artisanal fleet and a semi-industrial fleet. The artisanal fleet only catches Octopus maya, while the semi-industrial fleet catches two species, O. Maya and O. “vulgaris” Type II, because it operates at deeper waters ( > 30 m). Since there is no information on the abundance of O. “vulgaris” Type II, management is based only on O. Maya. In order to generate information about the abundance of this species, four fishing research cruises were carried out in the northeastern area of the continental shelf off the Yucatán Peninsula. Four methods (a stratified random method, a swept area, geostatistics and a weighted swept area) were applied and compared to determine the instantaneous abundance and biomass of both species in the study area. The lowest potential biomass was calculated with the geostatistical method, with values between 18.5% and 36.7% lower than the other three methods. O. “vulgaris” Type II showed the lowest biomass (37.8±3.36 t) during May and July and the highest (189.56±11.6 t) in December. Our findings revealed that the total abun­dance of both species was similar in the study area, with a geographic overlap whose amplitude changed throughout the year according to the geographic position: O. Maya dominated at approximately 88°W, while O. “vulgaris” Type II dominated towards the southeast at 87°W.

Relative abundance distribution and body size changes of two co‐occurring octopus species, Octopus americanus and Octopus maya, in a tropical upwelling area (south‐eastern Gulf of Mexico)

“…Having a planktonic phase would allow this species to undertake vertical migrations and be at the mercy of the currents for later settling in distant areas (Santana‐Cisneros, Ardisson, et al, 2021). This scenario provides arguments to think that individuals of this species could come from the Caribbean Sea and that their recruitment would occur in the eastern part of the Yucatan Shelf as recently hypothesized (Avendaño, Hernández‐Flores, et al, 2020) and in concordance with a hatching period mainly occurring from January to July (Velázquez‐Abunader, 2019).…”

“…Historically, it has been thought that depth was the factor that determined the abundance of O. americanus and O. maya in the Campeche Bank, the two main species that support the octopus' fishery in the south‐eastern Gulf of Mexico (DOF, 2018). However, recent studies have suggested that both species can co‐occur at depths between 25 and 45 m (Avendaño et al, 2019; Avendaño, Hernández‐Flores, et al, 2020). The results of this work confirm that, though the scenario seems to be more complex with maximum overlap restricted to the eastern part of the fishing ground, the distribution of abundance for both species differs to the west and along the coastal‐ocean axis.…”

“…Therefore, the fishing fleets would have different access to each species (DOF, 2018;Sauer et al, 2021). However, recent studies suggest that both octopi present similar abundance up to 60 m deep and form patches of greater abundance in areas of less than 50 m deep (Avendaño et al, 2019;Avendaño, Hernández-Flores, et al, 2020). The contrasting biology between both species could be a factor that differentiates the impacts of the environmental conditions on their distribution and with implications for the management of the fishery; for instance, the planktonic phase of O. americanus would favour dispersion of this species and colonization of distant zones , and the coastal preference of O. maya would make this species sensible to the environment along a longitudinal gradient with implications for later performance S1).…”

A field guide to distinguishing Octopus insularis and Octopus americanus (Octopoda: Octopodidae)

“…Where the two species overlap in geographic range, juvenile and adult O. insularis tend to be found on shallower (0.5-40 m) reef and rocky substrates in warmer water (Leite et al 2009;Rosas-Luis et al 2019), while juvenile and adult O. americanus are found up to 200 m in cooler waters on rock, rubble, shell beds or on the interface between rock and sand (Lima et al 2017;Avendaño et al 2020b). In subtropical regions, where shallow areas are typically less than 24°C throughout the year, O. insularis is less common, although its range may shift due to climate change (Ángeles-González et al 2020;Lima et al 2020a).…”

Dispersal modeling of octopoda paralarvae in the Gulf of Mexico

“…The characteristics of the upwelling area in our study also raise the possibility that it could be a suitable area for a “larval nursery” and, therefore, associated with larger settlement (Butler et al, 2006). A recent study reported adult presence in these areas (Avendaño, Hernández‐Flores et al, 2020).…”