Lipid storage and composition in tropical surgeonfishes (Teleostei: Acanthuridae)

The lipid composition of tropical marine reef fishes is poorly known, despite their use as food by local human populations and recent interest in health-related benefits of fish lipids. We examined the composition of lipids from epaxial muscle, liver, and two storage sites [mesenteries surrounding the gut (intraperitoneal fat, IPFs) and retroperitoneal fat bodies (FBs) posterior to the peritoneal cavity] in three species of surgeonfishes from Ishigaki Island, Japan: Naso lituratus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801), Acanthurus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758), and A. bariene (Lesson, 1830). Triacylglycerols dominated all samples of neutral lipid and constituted ≥ 99% of FBs and IPFs. Polar lipids generally contained large fractions of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. Quantified fatty acids ranged in length from C₁₄ to C₂₄. C₁₆ fatty acids prevailed (>35% of neutral fatty acids, >23% of polar fatty acids), although C₁₈ (>16 and >14%, respectively) and C₂₀ acids (>8 and >19%, respectively) were also common. Saturated fatty acids, dominated by palmitic acid (16:0), comprised 38.7 to 50.7% of acids from neutral lipids and 30.8 to 41.1% from polar lipids. The most common monounsaturated acids were 18:1n9 and 20:1n9. Polyunsaturated acids were prevalent in polar lipids (especially 20:4n6, 20:5n3, 22:2n3, 22:5n3, 22:5n6 and 22:6n3). Common polyunsaturated acids of neutral lipids were 18:2n6, 18:4n3, several n-3 and n-6 C₂₀ acids, 22:2n3 and 22:5n3. IPF and FB were almost identical across species, and lipids of fat bodies (IPFs, FBs) were more similar to those of muscle than those of liver for all three species. The FBs appear to constitute an accessory storage site, which overcomes constraints on lipid storage imposed by a small, inflexible abdominal cavity that contains both viscera and consistently voluminous gut contents. Fatty acid signatures indicate that largely overlooked epiphytic or epilithic diatoms contribute significantly to lipid acquisition. The combination of large quantities of both saturated and n-3 and other polyunsaturated fatty acids in surgeonfishes, in contrast to low saturates and high polyunsaturated acids in lipids of commercially important cool-water fishes, suggests that a study of dietary effects of fish lipids on human inhabitants of the tropics may be instructive insofar as human health and nutrition are concerned. Received: 16 March 1998 / Accepted: 6 August 1998     

Lipids of some Caribbean and Red Sea corals: total lipid,wax esters,triglycerides and fatty acids

The Caribbean reef-building corals Porites porites (Pallas) and Montastrea annularis (Ellis and Solander) and the Red Sea corals Pocillopora verrucosa (Ellis and Solander), Stylophora pistillata (Esper) and Goniastrea retiformis (Lamark) were analysed for total lipid, wax ester and triglyceride content, and fatty acid composition. M. annularis contained about 32% of dry weight as total lipid, whereas much lower values of between 11 and 17% were recorded for the other four species. It is concluded that there is greater variation in coral total lipid than hitherto thought. The total lipid contained a substantial proportion of wax ester (22 to 49%) and triglyceride (18 to 37%). The storage lipids (wax esters and triglycerides) accounted for between 6 and 20% of the dry weight and between 46 and 73% of the total lipid. Variation in lipid content between species could not be attributed to geographical location, but the low values for total lipid in Red Sea corals may in part be due to environmental factors as these samples were collected in winter. All corals analysed contained high levels of saturated fatty acids, the most abundant fatty acids being 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1n-9. Marked differences were observed in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content between species, with comparatively low levels of 10 and 11% of fatty acids being recorded in M. annularis and G. retiformis, respectively. The values for the other species ranged between 21 and 37%. Fatty acid composition may vary according to the proportions of fatty acids obtained from diet, algal photosynthesis and synthesis by the animal tissues.     

Use of Fatty Acid Analysis to Determine Dispersal of Caspian Terns in the Columbia River Basin,U.S.A.

Abstract: Lethal control, which has been used to reduce local abundances of animals in conflict with humans or with endangered species, may not achieve management goals if animal movement is not considered. In populations with emigration and immigration, lethal control may induce compensatory immigration, if the source of attraction remains unchanged. Within the Columbia River Basin (Washington, U.S.A.), avian predators forage at dams because dams tend to reduce rates of emigration of juvenile salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.), artificially concentrating these prey. We used differences in fatty acid profiles between Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) at coastal and inland breeding colonies and terns culled by a lethal control program at a mid‐Columbia River dam to infer dispersal patterns. We modeled the rate of loss of fatty acid biomarkers, which are fatty acids that can be traced to a single prey species or groups of species, to infer whether and when terns foraging at dams had emigrated from the coast. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling showed that coastal terns had high levels of C₂₀ and C₂₂ monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas fatty acids of inland breeders were high in C18:3n3, C20:4n6, and C22:5n3. Models of the rate of loss of fatty acid showed that approximately 60% of the terns collected at Rock Island Dam were unlikely to have bred successfully at local (inland) sites, suggesting that terns foraging at dams come from an extensive area. Fatty acid biomarkers may provide accurate information about patterns of dispersal in animal populations and may be extremely valuable in cases where populations differ demonstrably in prey base.     

Distribution of lipids between the zooxanthellae and animal compartment in the symbiotic sea anemoneAnemonia viridis: Wax esters,triglycerides and fatty acids

The temperate sea anemoneAnemonia viridis (Forskäl) contained about 11% lipid on a dry weight basis when maintained at light levels of about 10µE m^–2 s^–1 and a temperature of 10°C. Aposymbiotic forms of the anemone had similar lipid levels. These values are very low compared with tropical symbiotic Anthozoa in which lipid levels constitute up to 50% of dry weight. In symbioticA. viridis, <6% of total lipid consisted of the storage lipids, wax esters and triglycerides. Most of the triglyceride was stored in the animal tissues rather than the zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae contained only small amounts of wax esters. An analysis was made of the wax ester, triglyceride and fatty acid composition of symbiotic anemones, isolated zooxanthellae and aposymbiotic anemones. Wax ester composition was similar in symbiotic and aposymbiotic forms. However, triglyceride composition differed. In particular trimyristin (C42) was found only within the symbiotic association. Fatty acids showed a high degree of unsaturation, and acids with both even and odd numbers of carbon atoms were found. The most abundant fatty acid was 16:0 in all samples, except for the total lipids from zooxanthellae in which the major fatty acid wastrans-18:1.     

Lipid (energy) reserves,utilisation and provisioning during oocyte maturation and early embryonic development of deepwater chondrichthyans

We studied the lipid dynamics (lipid contents, classes and fatty acids) during oogenesis and early embryogenesis of 7 viviparous and 3 oviparous deepwater chondrichthyans. Mature pre-ovulated ovarian follicles of all species were high in lipid content, indicative of large energetic expenditure and high maternal investment. Larger lipid reserves were found in viviparous dogshark (28–36% wet weight, ww) compared to oviparous chimaeras (19–24% ww) and catshark, F. boardmani (18% ww). Neutral lipids and monounsaturated fatty acids were the main source of lipidic energy during vitellogenesis and gestation. For most species, there was a peak in total lipid content, levels of storage lipids and essential fatty acids at time of ovulation. Interspecific variation of total lipid yolk reserves and lipid class profiles was largely explained by differences in parity mode, reproductive (continuous vs. non-continuous oocytes development) strategy and depth-related physiological adaptations. Fatty acid profiles were less variable among species with the most important fatty acids including: 16:0, 18:1ω9, 20:1ω9, 20:4ω6 and 22:6ω3. These findings provide a greater biochemical understanding of different maternal-embryonic relationships among chondrichthyans, which can be used as a baseline for subsequent comparative studies.     

Ecological significance of salp fecal pellets collected by sediment traps in the eastern North Pacific

Five sediment traps were moored at depths of 740, 940, 1 440, 3 440 and 4 240 m for 7 d in December 1982 at Station 5 in the eastern North Pacific about 400 km from San Francisco. Dark green sinking particles enclosed in tough membrane consisted of mostly coccolithophores with some diatoms, dinoflagellates and chrysophytes. The average size of the particles was 10x5x2 mm. These characteristics indicate that the particles were fecal pellets of salp inhabiting the surface waters. Vertical fluxes of the organic carbon and nitrogen through sinking of the salp fecal pellets ranged from 6.7 to 23 mgC m^-2 d^-1 and from 0.88 to 3.2 mgN m^-2 d^-1, respectively. These values were several times higher than those determined in other oceanic areas by sediment trap experiments. Hydrocarbons consisting of short-chain n-alkanes (n-C₁₅-C₂₀) with n-C₁₇, the most predominant component, heneicosa-hexaene (n-C_21:6), br-C₂₅ alkenes and long-chain n-alkanes (n-C₂₁-C₃₀), without any odd or even carbon number predominance, were found from five depths. The presence of short-chain n-alkanes and n-C_21:6 indicated that phytoplankton in the surface waters was a primary source of organic matter in the sinking particles. Two isomers of br-C_25:3 and br-C_25:4 alkenes found in these particles also indicated that br-C₂₅ alkenes were the important biological marker of fecal pellet of zooplankton. The distribution pattern of the long-chain n-alkanes suggested that the sinking particles may be affected by bacteria to some extent. Fatty acids of the sinking particles were separated into free, triglyceride and wax ester fractions consisting of mono- and poly-unsaturated, and saturated fatty acids, with a range from C₁₄ to C₃₀. Concentrations of mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids decreased more rapidly toward the deep than those of saturated fatty acids, which cause low ratios of mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids. This indicates that unsaturated fatty acids were more rapidly decayed by marine microbes than saturated fatty acids in the deep water, despite the fact that a significant amount of unsaturated fatty acids still remained in the sinking particles collected from the deep waters. Our results revealed that the salp fecal pellet plays an important role in supplying foods to organisms in intermediate and deep seas.     

Seasonal variations in hepatopancreas fatty acid profiles of two colour forms of shore crabs, Carcinus maenas

 The relationship between intermoult duration (coloration), sex, size and seasonal variations in fatty acid (FA) profiles was studied in a population of shore crabs, Carcinus maenas, inhabiting the Isefjord, Denmark. For male shore crabs, the total hepatopancreas FA content was high in July and December (12.7 to 16.0 mg g⁻¹ dry weight, dw) but lower in May and September (7.3 to 10.0 mg g⁻¹). This indicates that male shore crabs are in relatively good condition before winter, when the crabs migrate off shore, but in relatively poor condition when they return to shallow waters during spring. The hepatopancreas FA content also decreased over the mating season. After the mating season the hepatopancreas FA content of males had decreased to approximately 60% of that prior to the mating season. Female shore crabs had significantly higher hepatopancreas FA levels than males in May (11.7 mg g⁻¹ dw), September (12.6 mg g⁻¹ dw) and December (17.9 mg g⁻¹ dw) but lower levels in July (9.5 mg g⁻¹ dw). This indicates that the spawning season is the most energy-demanding part of the female reproductive cycle. For all seasons, the hepatopancreas FA content of green shore crabs was significantly higher than that of red shore crabs. For both colour forms, the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was significantly higher than that of saturated fatty acids (SAFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), with the relative proportion of PUFAs increasing when the total hepatopancreas FA content decreased. For both genders and colour forms, the most dominating SAFA was palmitic acid (16:0). Palmitoleic acid (16:1ω7), vaccenic acid (18:1ω7) and oleic acid (18:1ω9) were the three MUFAs found in highest concentrations. The most dominating PUFA was eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5ω3). Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6ω3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4ω6) were also abundant in all samples. The results demonstrated that season, sex, size and intermoult duration all influence the amount of FAs present in the hepatopancreas of shore crabs. Received: 23 September 1999 / Accepted: 29 April 2000     

Role of heavy polar organic compounds for water repellency of sandy soils

Separation and chemical characterisation of specific compounds responsible for soil water repellency has not previously been achieved. Here we describe the extraction, separation and analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of organic compounds found in wettable and water repellent sandy soils from the Netherlands and United Kingdom. Fatty acids (C₁₆–C₂₄), amides (C₁₄–C₂₄), alkanes (C₂₅–C₃₃), aldehydes/ketones (C₂₃–C₃₁) and complex ring-containing structures were detected in all samples. We found a greater abundance of high molecular mass polar compounds in the water repellent samples.     

Fatty acid compositions of neutral glycerides from the ovaries of the asteroids Ctenodiscus crispatus,Asterias lincki and Pteraster militaris from Balsfjorden,northern Norway

Fatty acid analyses of lipids in the asteroids Ctenodiscus crispatus (Retzius), Asterias lincki (Müller and Troschel) and Pteraster militaris (O. F. Müller) collected in Balsfjorden, near Tromsø, northern Norway in 1978–1980, were performed to further our understanding of the asteroids' reproductive biology. Fatty acid compositions were determined in phospholipids, triacylglycerols and alkyldiacylglycerols isolated from ovaries of frozen C. crispatus. The major polyunsaturates in phospholipids were 20:4(n-6) followed by 20:5(n-3). Both the triacylglycerols and alkyldiacylglycerols were relatively deficient in polyunsaturates but had 20:1(n-13) and 18:1(n-7) as major components. Both these liqid classes had additionally 15% of their fatty acids as a variety of odd-numbered and branched-chain fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of neutral glycerides, largely alkyldiacylglycerols, from heat-dried ovaries of C. crispatus was not materially different from that of alkyldiacylglycerols isolated from the ovaries of frozen individuals. The fatty acid composition of neutral glycerides, largely alkyldiacylglycerols, from heat-dried ovaries of P. militaris was similar to that for C. crispatus in that 20:1(n-13) and 18:1(n-7) were major components, and odd-numbered together with branched-chain fatty acids accounted for about 15% of the total fatty acids. The fatty acid composition of neutral glycerides, consisting of equal amounts of triacylglycerols and alkyldiacylglycerols, from heat-dried ovaries of A. lincki differed from those of the previous two species in that 20:1(n-9) and 18:1(n-9) were major components and odd-numbered together with branched-chain fatty acids accounted for less than 5% of the total fatty acids. The results are discussed mainly in terms of lipid biosynthetic mechanisms within the asteroids and the interplay between internal biosynthetic activities and dietary fatty acids, particularly those from bacterial sources, is considered.     

Feeding of calanoid copepods in relation to Phaeocystis pouchetii blooms in the German Wadden Sea area off Sylt

Surface sediments from the Svartnes basin (195 m deep) in Balsfjorden, northern Norway (ca. 70°N), were partially characterized to assess the nature and origin of the organic material present and its potential nutritive value for sediment-ingesting animals. Seasonal analyses were carried out on material collected between May 1979 and August 1980 for total organic matter, organic C and N, acid-extractable amino acids and lipids extractable with chloroform:methanol. Little or no seasonal variation was seen in any of the parameters analysed. The mean apparent organic content was 9.3% of sediment dry weight, the organic C content was 2.38%, the organic N content was 0.26% and the C:N ratio was 9.1:1. Acid hydrolysis of sediment yielded 575 mg of amino acids and 41 mg of NH₃ per 100 g sediment dry weight, the composition of the amino acids being similar to that of nutritionally highquality animal or microbial protein. Glucoseamine was not detected in acid hydrolysates of sediment, consistent with the absence of chitin. Chloroform:methanol extraction yielded 133 mg of material per 100 g sediment dry weight, 62% of which was accounted for by saponifiable lipids (fatty acids) and non-saponifiable lipids present in approximately equal amounts. Fatty alcohols accounted for 30% of the non-saponifiable lipids and phytol accounted for 40% of the fatty alcohols. Small amounts of very long-chain fatty alcohols characteristic of terrestrial plants were present, but long-chain monounsaturated fatty alcohols characteristic of marine zooplankton were essentially absent. Very small quantities of long-chain ketones characteristic of marine coccolithophores were detected. The major fatty acids present in sediments were 16:0, 14:0, 16:1 (n-7) and 18:1 (n-9), and 11% of the total fatty acids were comprised of a mixture of odd-numbered straight-chain and branched-chain moieties characteristic of micro-organisms. The data point to small amounts of material characteristic of marine and terrestrial photosynthetic organisms being present in sediments at any given time, whereas material characteristic of marine zooplankton is not present. The presence of material characteristic of micro-organisms is consistent with conversion of sedimenting material into a pool of sediment micro-organisms. Although the biological availability to sediment-ingesting organisms of the esterified fatty acids and the acid-extractable amino acids in sediments remains to be assessed, the maximum amounts available are equivalent to approximately 60 mg of polar lipid and 575 mg of protein per 100 g sediment dry weight. These amounts are small in relation to the production rates in the photic zone of the fjord, implying that the bulk of the energy flow in Balsfjorden occurs in its relatively short pelagic food chains.     

Differential utilization of biochemical components during larval development of the spider crab Maja brachydactyla (Decapoda: Majidae)

Changes in lipid class, fatty acid, fat-soluble vitamins, amino acid and minerals were studied during larval development of Maja brachydactyla Balss, 1922 in order to provide information of its ontogeny and evaluate possible dietary deficiencies and constraints. Four different batches were analyzed from hatching to metamorphosis using enriched Artemia as food. Cultured larvae were in a good nutritional condition as confirmed by the continuous lipid accumulation throughout ontogeny. A regulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) occurred during development in order to maintain adequate basal levels of ω-3 fatty acids (likely through a retro conversion of C₂₀ and C₂₂ into C₁₈ PUFA). Variations in the tocopherol levels indicated its possible role in PUFA protection against oxidation. Essential amino acid balance during development was not correlated with the Artemia feeding regime, but rather reflected inherent variations of the own species ontogeny. Larval requirements in essential minerals were fully supplied by the enriched Artemia.     

Using fatty acid analysis to elucidate the feeding habits of Southern Ocean mesopelagic fish

Fatty acid biomarkers were used to investigate the feeding ecology of 17 mesopelagic fish species occurring in the Southern Ocean. Fatty acid signatures of species where little or no dietary information exists were compared to fatty acid signatures of species of known diets in order to elucidate their trophic position. Principal component analysis grouped species of known diets into two clusters with amphipods and copepods comprising the main prey species, respectively. Although the majority of species of unknown diet were grouped with either of these feeding guilds, a third cluster comprising only Gymnoscopelus bolini was identified suggesting a significantly different diet for this species. Electrona antarctica also exhibited significant changes in fatty acid signatures with size. Furthermore, discriminant analysis of the four most abundant species classified species with a 90% success rate thus validating the usefulness of fatty acid signatures when trying to resolve the trophic position of species where no or little dietary information exists.     

Chemical characteristics of fine particulate matter emitted from commercial cooking

The chemical characteristics of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) emitted from commercial cooking were explored in this study. Three typical commercial restaurants in Shanghai, i.e., a Shanghai-style one (SHS), a Sichuan-style one (SCS) and an Italian-style one (ITS), were selected to conduct PM_2.5 sampling. Particulate organic matter (POM) was found to be the predominant contributor to cooking-related PM_2.5 mass in all the tested restaurants, with a proportion of 69.1% to 77.1%. Specifically, 80 trace organic compounds were identified and quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which accounted for 3.8%–6.5% of the total PM_2.5 mass. Among the quantified organic compounds, unsaturated fatty acids had the highest concentration, followed by saturated fatty acids. Comparatively, the impacts of other kinds of organic compounds were much smaller. Oleic acid was the most abundant single species in both SCS and ITS. However, in the case of SHS, linoleic acid was the richest one. ITS produced a much larger mass fraction of most organic species in POM than the two Chinese cooking styles except for monosaccharide anhydrides and sterols. The results of this study could be utilized to explore the contribution of cooking emissions to PM_2.5 pollution and to develop the emission inventory of PM_2.5 from cooking, which could then help the policymakers design efficient treatment measures and control strategies on cooking emissions in the future.     

Inter-specific and geographical variations in the fatty acid composition of mangrove leaves: implications for using fatty acids as a taxonomic tool and tracers of organic matter

Fatty acid compositions of the leaves of six species of mangroves were studied to ascertain their use as biomarkers for determining the fate of mangrove organic matter in the habitat and as taxonomic tool. Mangrove leaves were collected from three locations in the western Pacific Ocean: Moreton Bay (MB) (Australia), Hong Kong (China) and Okinawa (Japan). In MB, samples were collected from two sites separated by 15 km: Logan River Estuary (LRE) and Jabiru Island. In addition, along the LRE, leaves were collected from five stations at ∼2–3 km apart. Results show that the analysis of the entire fatty acid profiles of the mangrove leaves is a promising taxonomic tool as the profiles of most species were sufficiently different to be separated in an non-metric multidimensional scaling plot. In addition, geographically separated populations of the same species could also be identified by their fatty acid profiles. In most cases, two non-ubiquitous groups of fatty acids dominated in the mangrove leaves: the polyunsaturated 18:2ω6 and 18:3ω3 and the long chain fatty acids (≥24:0). With respect to the relative contributions of these fatty acids, three groups of species were identified, in which one or both groups of fatty acids may potentially be used as markers of the mangrove organic matter in the estuarine environment.     

Using biochemical and isotopic tracers to characterise organic matter sources and their incorporation into estuarine food webs (Rufiji delta,Tanzania)

Fatty acid biomarkers and stable isotope signatures were used to identify the sources of particulate and sedimentary organic matter and its input into the food web through the dominant consumer within the mangrove-dominated Rufiji estuary, Tanzania. Specific fatty acids were used to identify the preferred basal sources of dominant fauna (i.e. filter feeder bivalves, snails, crabs, shrimps, and three fish species), and their presence in the water and sediment samples in the estuary. Both fatty acid and stable isotope results revealed that food web in the Rufiji estuary depended on a variety of carbon sources (mangroves, allochthonous terrestrial inputs, macroalgae, and phytoplankton), contributing to a different degree into the diets of primary consumers and members of near-shore fish, but none of them were obligatory for the survival of these species. The δ¹⁵N values of major primary producers and consumers/predators revealed a trend for δ¹⁵N enrichment with increasing trophic level. The ratio of docosahexaenoic acid to eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA:EPA) decreased from pelagic to benthic feeding fish. This indicated that fish with different feeding modes derived their fatty acids from different primary sources of nutrition, and suggested that the DHA:EPA ratio may be a useful indicator of feeding mode.     

Fatty-acid composition of ovulated eggs from wild and cultured turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) in relation to yolk and oil globule lipids

The fatty-acid composition of lipids from ovulated eggs of wild and cultured turbot was investigated in order to estimate the nutritional requirements during embryonic and early larval development. Lipid comprised 13.8±0.5% (n=5) and 13.2±0.7% (n=7) of the egg dry weight in wild and cultured turbot, respectively. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the (n-3) series accounted for 39% of total fatty acids in total lipid of both wild and cultured fish. The predominant (n-3) FUFA was docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3), which also was the most abundant fatty acid in turbot eggs and comprised 24 and 23% of the total egg fatty acids in wild and cultured fish, respectively. Phospholipids, triacylglycerols and cholesterol-wax esters of turbot eggs all exhibited a specific fatty-acid profile distinctly different from that of total lipid. The general pattern of the fatty-acid distribution in lipids of eggs from wild and cultured turbot was similar, but the relative amount of 18:2(n-6) was considerably higher and 20:1(n-9) slightly higher in cultured fish. These differences were extended to all lipid classes and probably reflect the dietary intake of certain vegetable and marine fish oils. Calculations based on light microscopical studies showed that 55 to 60% of the total lipids in cultured turbot eggs are confined to the oil globule. The size of the oil globule remained constant during embryogenesis, and a reduction in size occurred first after hatching and mainly after yolk depletion. This implies that the total amount of lipids utilised during the embryonic development is considerably less than the total lipids present in ovulated turbot eggs. Comparison of the fatty-acid composition of total lipids from eggs and vitellogenin of wild turbot reveals that egg lipids contained a lower level of saturated and a higher level of monounsaturated fatty acids. Eggs also contained wax esters, which were not detected in vitellogenin, suggesting that vitellogenin is not the only source of lipids for turbot eggs.     

Potential dietary effects on the fatty acid composition of the common jellyfish Aurelia aurita

Fatty acid composition of the natural and aquarium-reared common jellyfish Aurelia aurita was investigated. Fatty acid composition of the aquarium-reared A. aurita clearly reflected that of the diet, brine shrimp (Artemia). In the same way, fatty acid composition of the natural A. aurita was assumed to reflect those of natural diets. Samples of natural A. aurita were collected from April 1995 to September 1995 in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, and their fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Variation of fatty acid compositions was seasonal rather than dependent on body size. Two major seasonal groups were divided by the cluster analysis of the A. aurita fatty acid composition: the April–June and the August–September clusters. The April–June cluster was characterized by high contents of the (n − 3)-fatty acids of diatom origin, accumulated via the grazing food chain. By contrast, the August–September cluster was characterized by an increase in (n − 6)-fatty acids of macroalgal origin, probably transferred via the detritus food chain. These results suggest that the diet of natural A. aurita may shift between the diatom-based food chain and the detritus-based food chain. Received: 12 April 2000 / Accepted: 1 December 2000     

Fatty acids of the female horseshoe crab Xiphosura (Limulus) polyphemus

The fatty acid composition of 9 different tissues and organs of the female horseshoe crab Xiphosura (Limulus) polyphemus — one of the very few recent representatives of the ancient arthropod class Merostomata — was investigated in reference to the distribution of fatty acids through the marine food web. Fatty acid spectra, in which polyunsaturated fatty acids are predominant, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 3), revealed features characteristic of marine lipids. However, rather large quantities of monoenoic fatty acids also occur in all organs. In the saturated fatty acid fractions, the high content of branched-chain components is worth noticing, particularly in the gills and the carapace (35%); in all probability, the high amount of the branched-chain fatty acids is associated with their protective function in surface lipids. Isoprenoid fatty acids such as pristanic and phytanic acid were absent.     

Lipids,and their constituent fatty acids,ofPhaeocystis sp. from the Arabian Gulf

This paper reports on the firstPhaeocystis sp. (hereafterPhaeocystis) bloom in the Arabian Gulf. Total lipids from threePhaeocystis colonies sampled in November 1987 and in March and May 1988, comprised ca 11.0% of the dry biomass. Triacylglycerols (TG) and/or free fatty acids (FA) predominated in the lipids of all three samples. Polar lipids consisted of mixtures of phospholipids and glycolipids. Diacylglycerotrimethylhomoserines (DGTH) were present in all extracts, whilst conventional phospholipids only occurred in low concentrations. The predominant glycolipids were monogalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDG) digalactosyldiacylglycerols (DGDG), sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerols (SQDG) and steryl glycosides (SG). The predominant fatty acids in the total lipids of all three samples were palmitic (16:0) and oleic (18:1) acids. Total lipids of the November sample contained the smallest proportion of palmitic and the largest of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) — especially C₁₆. The proportion of PUFA was considerable in individual polar lipids. C₁₆ PUFA were more common in individual polar lipid classes of the November and March samples than that of May. The concentration of constituent C₁₈ PUFA was relatively low. PUFA with chains longer than 18 C atoms only occurred in very low concentrations, and were confined to certain polar and nonpolar lipid classes of the November sample only.     

Coral cavity sponges depend on reef-derived food resources: stable isotope and fatty acid constraints

The diet of cavity sponges on the narrow fringing reefs of Curaçao, Caribbean was studied. The origin and resources of the bulk food of these sponges, i.e., dissolved organic matter (DOM), were identified using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes and fatty acid biomarkers. We found that phytoplankton and its derived DOM from the adjacent open sea and from reef overlying water is not the main source of food for most of the sponges examined nor is bacterioplankton. Interestingly, dual stable isotope signatures (δ¹³C_org, δ¹⁵N_org) and fatty acid biomarkers appoint coral mucus and organic matter derived from crustose coralline algae (CCA) as probable food sources for encrusting sponges. Mucus-derived DOM may contribute up to 66% to the diet of examined sponges based on results of dual isotope mixing model analysis. The contribution of CCA (as purported representative for benthic algae) was smaller with values up to 31%. Together, mucus- and CCA-derived substrates contributed for 48–73% to the diet of sponges. The presence of the exogenous fatty acid 20:4ω6 in sponges, which is abundant in coral mucus of Madracis mirabilis and in CCA, highlights these reef-derived resources as sources of nutrition for DOM feeding cavity sponges. The relatively high concentrations of exogenous 20:4ω6 in all sponges examined supports our hypothesis that the bulk of the food of the cavity sponge community is reef-derived. Our results imply that cavity sponges play an important role in conserving food and energy produced within the reef.