[EN] In the present work 1018 octopuses, 584 males and 434 females, of the commercial catches landed in Barcelona harbour (Mediterranean sea, Spain) sampled during a year, have been examinated. These specimens range between 36 and 400 g. The dorsal mantle length, the live body weight, the eviscerate body weight, the mantle width and the gonads weight (the testis and the ducts-Needham's sac weight for males and the single ovary and the óviducts-nidamental glands weight for females) have been related in order to obtain the relationship between them and to consider their real signification. Linear regressions equations were calculated taking on account the following cases: a) the total sample without sexes differentiation; b) the total sample with sexes separation; c) distinguishing by sexes and seasons and d)considerig mturity stages. Teh standard error of the regression coefficients have been also calculated. Using the adequate significance test, the following conclusions can be established: 1) In the relationship between the dorsal mantle length and the live body or the eviscerate body weight the regressions coefficients calculated for the cases b) and c) in the same population have significative differences. 2) For an accurate calculation of the relationship between the dorsal mantle length and the mantle width it is suitable to separate the total sample in sexes and, after that, to establish subsamples of individuals with the same maturity stage. 3) The relationship between the body weight and the different parts of the gonads must be always calculated considering the maturity stage of the animals. 4) The observed seasonal variations of the regression coefficients can be explained for the physiological changes, normally related with the sexual development. Stepwise multiple regression analysis have been also used. We can conclude that this sophistication does not increase subtantially the information of the linear regression equations: the incorporation of the variables to the best regression equation calculated for this method has a biological sense, normally related with the sexual cycle of the octopus.

[ES] Durante el desarrollo todos los organismos atraviesan por diferentes etapas en las cuales acontecen cambios morfológicos y fisiológicos de mayor o menor consideración. Las variaciones más bruscas suelen experimentarse en las etapas iniciales del crecimiento. El desarollo embrionario de los cefalópodos es único entre los moluscos: la segmentación del huevo no es espiral sino que los huevos, que son telolecíticos, presentan un blastodisco; además en ningún caso existen larvas del tipo trocófora o veliger. [...]

22 páginas, 14 cuadros, 1 figura

Peer reviewed