#32024L1262R(01)Corrected EU cephalopod housing standards for animal research facilities
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This corrigendum replaces a table of minimum housing requirements for cephalopods used in scientific establishments. It sets corrected minimum tank surface areas, extra space for group housing, and water depths for cuttlefish, sepiolids, squid, and octopus by body length. The practical impact is narrow. Research facilities, animal welfare officers, and compliance teams working with cephalopods should check that their tank specifications and internal procedures match the corrected table, especially for group-housed animals and juvenile squid or octopus.
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Key Changes
- Replaces Table 12.1 on cephalopod housing requirements in the annex to Delegated Directive (EU) 2024/1262
- Sets corrected minimum water surface areas, additional group-housing space, and minimum water depths by species family and body length
- Adds specific notes for group limits, cylindrical tanks, non-cylindrical tank increases, and juvenile squid and octopus housing
Obligations
What this law requires
Establishments keeping cuttlefish for scientific purposes must provide at least 100 cm² water surface area and 7 cm water depth for animals up to 2 cm dorsal mantle length, 600 cm² and 15 cm depth for animals over 2 to 6 cm, 1,200 cm² and 20 cm depth for animals over 6 to 12 cm, and 2,500 cm² and 25 cm depth for animals over 12 cm.
For group-housed cuttlefish, establishments must provide additional minimum water surface area per additional animal of 40 cm² for animals up to 2 cm dorsal mantle length, 200 cm² for animals over 2 to 6 cm, 400 cm² for animals over 6 to 12 cm, and 1,000 cm² for animals over 12 cm.
Establishments keeping sepiolids for scientific purposes must provide at least 50 cm² water surface area and 5 cm water depth for animals up to 1 cm dorsal mantle length, 120 cm² and 8 cm depth for animals over 1 to 3 cm, and 150 cm² and 12 cm depth for animals over 3 cm.
For group-housed sepiolids, establishments must keep groups to no more than 40 individuals and provide additional minimum water surface area per additional animal of 5 cm² for animals up to 1 cm dorsal mantle length, 50 cm² for animals over 1 to 3 cm, and 100 cm² for animals over 3 cm.
Establishments keeping squid for scientific purposes must provide at least 2,000 cm² water surface area and 60 cm water depth for animals up to 15 cm dorsal mantle length, 4,500 cm² and 90 cm depth for animals over 15 to 25 cm, and 6,000 cm² and 90 cm depth for animals over 25 cm.