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Holothurians are a valuable resource for coastal communities in the Indo-Pacific region; however, the unsustainable exploitation of the species and the rising wholesale price of the processed product (bêche-de-mer) have resulted in the depletion of wild stocks worldwide. Athyonidium chilensis is the most economically important holothuroid in the Southeast Pacific coast; however, the early life-history of the species has not been previously described. A. chilensis developed through the lecithotrophic vitellaria and the pentactula larval stages in ~7 days at 13 ± 0.3°C. At settlement, individuals were capable of active feeding on micro-algae associated with the sediment. Thirty-five days post-fertilization, the buccal tentacles and the fourth pair of ambulacral podia were completely developed. After 4 months of cultivation, juvenile (~1.4 mm length) had a substantial number of podia on the body surface and some common adult behaviors were also displayed. An evident effect of the density during the culture of juveniles was observed, with higher growth rates and survival observed in the treatment with the lowest density (1 ind cm-2). This study provides the first descriptions of the early life-history stages of A. chilensis, but also shows this sea cucumber can be successfully reared in land-based nursery systems. Culture of this species is feasible and could be potentially developed as an alternative to maintain a sustainable harvest by contributing to the restoration of natural populations. Los holotúridos son un valioso recurso para numerosas comunidades costeras en la región Indo-Pacífica. Sin embargo, la explotación no sustentable de muchas especies y el aumento de los precios del producto procesado (bêche-de-mer), han resultado en una disminución de las poblaciones naturales a nivel global. A pesar de que Athyonidium chilensis es el holotúrido de mayor importancia económica en la costa Pacífica Sur-este, los estadios de vida tempranos aún no han sido descritos. El desarrollo larval de A. chilensis comprendió dos estadios sucesivos, la larva lecitotrófica vitelaria y la larva pentáctula, en aproximadamente 7 días a 13 ± 0,3°C. Una vez asentados, los individuos fueron capaces de alimentarse activamente de microalgas asociadas al sedimento. Treinta y cinco días post-fecundación, los tentáculos bucales y el cuarto par de podios ambulacrales estuvieron completamente desarrollados. Después de 4 meses de cultivo, los juveniles (~1,4 mm de largo) presentaron un gran número de podios en la superficie corporal y algunos comportamientos típicos de individuos adultos fueron observados. La densidad de cultivo tuvo un efecto evidente en el crecimiento y la supervivencia de los juveniles, con las mayores tasas de crecimiento y las más altas supervivencias en el tratamiento con la menor densidad (1 ind cm-2). El presente estudio provee la primera descripción detallada de los estadios de vida tempranos de A. chilensis, pero además demuestra que esta especie puede ser cultivada en hatcheries y que el cultivo masivo podría ser eventualmente desarrollado como una medida para mantener una extracción sustentable contribuyendo a la restauración de poblaciones naturales.

Holothurians are a valuable resource for coastal communities in the Indo-Pacific region; however, the unsustainable exploitation of the species and the rising wholesale price of the processed product (bêche-de-mer) have resulted in the depletion of wild stocks worldwide. Athyonidium chilensis is the most economically important holothuroid in the Southeast Pacific coast; however, the early life-history of the species has not been previously described. A. chilensis developed through the lecithotrophic vitellaria and the pentactula larval stages in ~7 days at 13 ± 0.3°C. At settlement, individuals were capable of active feeding on micro-algae associated with the sediment. Thirty-five days post-fertilization, the buccal tentacles and the fourth pair of ambulacral podia were completely developed. After 4 months of cultivation, juvenile (~1.4 mm length) had a substantial number of podia on the body surface and some common adult behaviors were also displayed. An evident effect of the density during the culture of juveniles was observed, with higher growth rates and survival observed in the treatment with the lowest density (1 ind cm-2). This study provides the first descriptions of the early life-history stages of A. chilensis, but also shows this sea cucumber can be successfully reared in land-based nursery systems. Culture of this species is feasible and could be potentially developed as an alternative to maintain a sustainable harvest by contributing to the restoration of natural populations.

Early life stages of cephalopods were sampled with zooplankton nets in southern Chile (41°-43°S) during the CIMAR 11 Fiordos cruise, November 2005. A total of 52 individuals were collected, comprising three families (Octopodidae, Sepiolidae, Onychoteuthidae) and four species (Robsonella fontaniana, Enteroctopus megalocyathus, Semirossia patagonica, an undetermined Onychoteuthidae species). Paralarvae of Octopodidae have been previously recorded in northern and southern Chile; however, for Sepiolidae and Onychoteuthidae, this is the first record of early life stages in Chilean waters. Estadios tempranos de cefalópodos fueron obtenidos con redes de zooplancton en el sur de Chile (41°-43°S) durante el crucero CIMAR 11 Fiordos en noviembre de 2005. Un total de cincuenta y dos individuos fueron recolectados, comprendiendo tres familias (Octopodidae, Sepiolidae and Onychoteuthidae) y cuatro especies (Robsonella fontaniana, Enteroctopus megalocyathus, Semirossia patagonica, y una especie indeterminada de Onychoteuthidae). Si bien existen descripciones previas de paralarvas de Octopodidae para el norte y sur de Chile, este trabajo provee el primer registro de estadios tempranos de vida de Sepiolidae y Onychoteuthidae para aguas chilenas.

Early life stages of cephalopods were sampled with zooplankton nets in southern Chile (41°-43°S) during the CIMAR 11 Fiordos cruise, November 2005. A total of 52 individuals were collected, comprising three families (Octopodidae, Sepiolidae, Onychoteuthidae) and four species (Robsonella fontaniana, Enteroctopus megalocyathus, Semirossia patagonica, an undetermined Onychoteuthidae species). Paralarvae of Octopodidae have been previously recorded in northern and southern Chile; however, for Sepiolidae and Onychoteuthidae, this is the first record of early life stages in Chilean waters.