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Ecological investigations on the zooplankton community in balsfjorden, northern Norway: Lipids and fatty acids in Meganyctiphanes norvegica, Thysanoessa raschi and T. inermis during mid-winter

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Abstract

Total lipid of Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars) contained 53% triacylglycerols and traces of wax esters, that of Thysanoessa raschi (M. Sars) contained 44% triacylglycerols and 10% wax esters and that of T. inermis (Krøyer) contained 28% triacylglycerols and 40% wax esters. The triacylglycerols of M. norvegica were relatively rich in 20:1 and 22:1 fatty acids and its traces of wax esters resembled those of calanoid copepods. The triacylglycerols of both Thysanoessa species were deficient in 20:1 and 22:1 fatty acids but were richer in 16:1(n-7) and 18:1 (n-7) acids than those of M. norvegica. The wax esters of T. raschi contained phytol as almost the only fatty alcohol and were rich in 16:0 and 18:1 (n-9) fatty acids. The wax esters of T. inermis contained mainly 16:0 and 14:0 fatty alcohols with lesser amounts of phytol and their dominant fatty acid was 18:1, especially the (n-9) isomer. The triacylglycerols of T. inermis had 18:4 (n-3) as the major polyunsaturated fatty acid. From these and other aspects of fatty acid and fatty alcohol analyses it is concluded that a major foodstuff of M. norvegica in Balsfjorden is wax ester-rich calanoid copepods. T. raschi and especially T. inermis are concluded to have much more preference for phytoplanktonic food. Results are discussed in terms of current knowledge of the lipid chemistry of krill in the northern and southern hemispheres.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Biochemistry, Natural Environment Research Council, St. Fittick's Road, AB1 3RA, Aberdeen, Scotland

    J. R. Sargent

  2. Aquatic Biology Group, Institute of Biology and Geology, University of Tromsø, P.O. Box 790, N-9001, Tromsø, Norway

    S. Falk-Petersen

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  1. J. R. Sargent
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  2. S. Falk-Petersen
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Communicated by J. Mauchline, Oban

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Sargent, J.R., Falk-Petersen, S. Ecological investigations on the zooplankton community in balsfjorden, northern Norway: Lipids and fatty acids in Meganyctiphanes norvegica, Thysanoessa raschi and T. inermis during mid-winter. Mar. Biol. 62, 131–137 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00388175

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