Octopus populations typically demonstrate fast growth rates short semelparous life cycles and high fecundity (Hanlon and essenger, 1996: Mangold. 1983) Factors which make them seem
rclatively resilient to fishing pressure and environmental pertur-bations, compared to many teleost speciesure et ai 2000)However, as a consequence of these attributes, octopus populations
have minimal overlap between generations, a predicament that can leave them without a buffer from poor recruitment (Boyle, 1990 echa et al.. 2001). This mixture of adaptability and susceptibility, can lead to sharp and spoor fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of octopus populations (Sobrinoet al., 2002)To determine the causes of or to forecast for such fluctuations, it is essential to have a sound knowledge ofthe life history ofthe species
targeted and the potential impacts fishing practices may have on recruitment dynamics. This is particularly relevant for develop mental fisheries, which are generally data poor due to their short