Seasonal changes in lipid class content in mussels Mytilus spp. from Rakkfjorden in the Norwegian Sea and Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea

Abstract

The aim of the study was to increase knowledge regarding baseline biology of Arctic mussels (Mytilus spp.) in terms of lipid class content at different stages of reproductive development throughout the year. Lipid composition in the mantle and digestive glands were studied in mussels from the intertidal and subtidal zones of mussel beds located in the Norwegian Sea and the White Sea. Thin-layer chromatography was used to quantify phospholipids, triacylglycerols, sterols and their esters. The differences in climatic and hydrological conditions between the studied geographical locations of mussel beds were reflected not only in the timing and duration of the mussel’s reproductive stages, mainly active gametogenesis (stage II) and maturity (stage III), but also in the lipid composition of mussel mantle and digestive gland. The differences in environmental conditions between intertidal and subtidal zones of the studied mussel beds were also reflected in the lipid composition of mussels from both geographic locations, and determined the modifications of their lipid composition during the reproductive development. Although environmental conditions caused specificity in the distribution of the lipid composition in the mantle and digestive gland of Arctic Mytilus spp., the lipid composition variations that accompany the reproductive processes in bivalve mollusks were not affected.