Young cuttlefish Sepia officinalis (mollusca : sepiidae) in the Morbihan Bay (south Brittany, France): accessory prey of predators

Morbihan Bay, France, is an important spawning area and nursery grounds for young cuttlefish. The eggs and the young cuttlefish are subjected to preda tory species of fish. These were identified by analysing the stomach conten ts of 26 species and two species of cephalopods. Five fish species were fou nd to be predators of young cuttlefish. The Balistes carolinensis feeds on the eggs, and Dicentrarchus labrax, Labrus bergylta, Spondyliosoma cantharu s, and Conger conger eat young cuttlefish, from 8 mm (hatching cuttlefish) to 61 mm in mantle length (cuttlefish about 4-months old).