Interannual variations of lipids and fatty acids during larval development of Crangon spp. in the German Bight, North Sea

Abstract

Eggs and larval stages of the caridean shrimps Crangon crangon and C. allmanni were collected to determine their lipid and fatty acid compositions. Specimens were sampled after the extremely mild winter of 1989/1990 and during the following year, 1991. The fatty acid composition of the zoeal stages of both C. crangon and C. allmanni from 1991 were predominated by the polyunsaturated fatty acids which are typical for marine organisms. In contrast, unsaturated fatty acids were absent in the early larval stages of C. crangon collected in 1990; however, advanced larval stages showed a similar fatty acid composition compared to larvae from 1991. The major phospholipid of eggs and larvae was phosphatidylethanolamine. Eggs contained also phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine, which are probably utilized during embryonic development until hatching because in the early larval stages, only phosphatidylethanolamine was found. In stage VII, again phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine occurred. The lipid and fatty acid composition seems to be an indicator for the survival chances of the planktonic stages. The absence of unsaturated fatty acids may be interpreted as a consequence of unfavorable nutritional conditions during the early developmental phase of the shrimps.