Abstract
Specimens of the oceanic decapod Systellaspis debilis were collected from six sites in the East Atlantic Ocean between 1970 and 1984, and were analysed for Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Cd. The data confirm that there are small but significant differences in mean metal concentrations from some sites which showed no obvious pattern in relation to geographic location of the samples. As a result, ranges of site means are quoted as “baseline” levels for each metal (μg g-1 dry wt): 2.3 to 2.9 μg Mn g-1, 31.2 to 77.8 μg Fe g-1, 25.9 to 83.4 μg Cu g-1, 41.9 to 92.9 μgZn g-1, 11.1 to 31.8 μg Cd g-1. The concentration of cadmium in S. debilis from all sites was raised relative to cadmium concentrations reported for coastal decapods, perhaps as a result of dietary enrichment. Metal accumulation may provide useful information for understanding the complex feeding behaviour of many oceanic animals.
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