Abstract
Marine invertebrates on a tidal flat are submitted to dramatic changes of their habitat associated with the tidal cycle. Information about seasonal variability in the biochemical composition as a function of their geographic situation on the tidal flat are sparse in nereid polychaetes. We demonstrate that biochemical composition of Nereis virens varies accordingly to the weight and the altimetric level on the tidal flat. Glycogen, proteins, lipids and total sugars in N. virens increased at the lower tidal level in the north-east oriented bay. At the uppermost part, we have found younger and rather small individuals. In the south-west oriented tidal flat, spatial distribution patterns were less evident. However, glycogen content was 3-fold higher in N. virens of the second tidal flat. These results show that biochemical composition of N. virens is not completely dependent upon the size of the worm but follows a seasonal trend particularly at the lower level of the two bays. Our results indicate that favourable nutritional conditions for growth are prevailing in these sites and that these monotelic annelids were possibly not in their reproductive state.
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