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Published on: October 31, 2019
Charting a Sustainable Course: Phaeobacter Inoculation as a Probiotic-Based Strategy for Common Octopus Aquaculture
Luana Granja1,2, Jorge Carlos Santamaría1, José Pintado1
1Integrated Marine Ecology (INMARE), Instituto de Investigacions Mariñas-CSIC, Rúa de Eduardo Cabello, 6, 36208 Vigo, Spain.
Microorganisms
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Probiotics from the Roseobacter clade show promise for improving octopus aquaculture. Phaeobacter sp. 4UAC3 enhanced paralarval survival, despite reducing hatching rates, offering a sustainable solution for octopus farming challenges.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Aquaculture
- Microbiology
Background:
- Octopus vulgaris aquaculture faces high larval mortality due to nutritional deficits and pathogen susceptibility, particularly Vibrio spp.
- Vaccination is not feasible in cephalopods, making probiotics a sustainable alternative for disease management.
- The Roseobacter clade is explored for its potential as a host-associated probiotic in octopus farming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Roseobacter clade bacteria as probiotic candidates for Octopus vulgaris during embryonic and paralarval stages.
- To assess the efficacy of selected strains against common aquaculture pathogens.
- To determine the in vivo impact of Phaeobacter sp. 4UAC3 on octopus survival and colonization.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of egg-associated microbiota and screening of Roseobacter strains for antagonistic activity against Vibrio spp.
- In vitro screening of Phaeobacter and Ruegeria strains against Vibrio spp. and Tenacibaculum maritimum.
- In vivo assays with Phaeobacter sp. 4UAC3 to evaluate colonization, hatching success, and paralarval survival.
Main Results:
- Phaeobacter strains exhibited strong inhibitory activity against Vibrio spp., while Ruegeria strains were effective against Tenacibaculum maritimum.
- Phaeobacter sp. 4UAC3 successfully colonized eggs, water, and paralarvae but reduced hatching success by 33%.
- Probiotic treatment significantly improved paralarval survival, with over 50% survival in treated groups compared to 0% in controls by day 6.
Conclusions:
- Phaeobacter sp. 4UAC3 is a promising probiotic candidate for enhancing Octopus vulgaris paralarval survival.
- The administration method requires optimization to mitigate negative impacts on hatching success.
- This research offers a sustainable approach to address critical bottlenecks in octopus aquaculture.
