Abstract
Giant Pacific octopuses (Enteroctopus dofleini) (GPOs) are commonly housed in zoos or aquaria, and sedation and/or anesthesia may be indicated for a variety of reasons. Despite this need, evidence-based data on best practices for anesthesia or euthanasia is lacking. Limited literature focuses on smaller or more tropical species of cephalopods.1,2 The objectives of this study were to survey individuals from the aquatic community regarding husbandry and veterinary care of GPOs, including use of anesthesia as well as protocol preferences. A two-part, web-based survey was distributed to four aquatic and/or veterinary email listservs and included questions regarding GPO husbandry, veterinary care, sedation/anesthesia techniques, and euthanasia methods. Forty-nine institutions participated in phase one. Preliminary results documented that 36 (73%) institutions currently house GPOs, and at least 21 institutions have anesthetized or sedated a GPO. The median habitat volume is 1364 (500–3600) gallons, and 79% of systems are closed. Most participating institutions currently house one GPO; however, eight institutions reported having two to three GPOs. Sedation or anesthesia has been used for nonterminal procedures including wound care, biopsies, and hemolymph collection. Reported methods of sedation or anesthesia include magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, isoflurane and ethanol. Drugs or methods used for euthanasia include magnesium salts, ethanol, benzocaine, cooling and pithing. Additional results are pending. Survey data has the potential to guide husbandry and veterinary care of GPOs and set the foundation for future prospective studies on GPO anesthesia.
*Presenting author
+Student presenter
Literature Cited
1. Butler-Struben HM, Brophy SM, Johnson NA, Crook RJ. 2018. In vivo recording of neural and behavioral correlates of anesthesia induction, reversal, and euthanasia in cephalopod molluscs. Front Physiol. 9:109.
2. Polese G, Winlow W, Di Cosmo A. 2014. Dose-dependent effects of the clinical anesthetic isoflurane on Octopus vulgaris: a contribution to cephalopod welfare. J Aquat Anim Health. 26:285–294.