Innate response to first feeding in Octopus berrima hatchlings despite embryonic food imprinting

Abstract

Food imprinting has both ecological and evolutionary significance but the generality of these patterns for octopods remains unknown. We aim to determine the prey preference of Octopus berrima hatchlings and whether it may be modified through imprinting. Firstly, hatchlings were given isopods, amphipods and mussels to determine their prey preference ranking. In a separate experiment, embryos were exposed to the visual and chemical stimuli of either isopods, amphipods or mussels separately at least a week before hatching. A prey preference test on hatchlings using all three prey types was conducted. We found that O. berrima had a preference ranking of isopods > amphipods > mussels. However, they retained their isopod prey preference regardless of the prey type they were embryonically exposed to, indicating that it is likely pre-determined as a result of innate biological processes rather than from life experience, providing evidence that imprinting does not occur in O. berrima.