FATTY-ACIDS IN THE HEPATOPANCREAS, OVARIES AND EMBRYOS OF THE SPIDER CRAB LIBINIA-EMARGINATA DURING THE REPRODUCTIVE-CYCLE

Gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acids was carried out on female juvenile spider crab tissues (ovary and hepatopancreas), and tissues f rom reproductively active adult females (embryo, ovary and hepatopancr eas). Six acids (16:0, 16:1, 18:0, 18:1, 20:5, and 22:6) each constant ly made up at least 5.0% of the total acid profile, and in the embryos 14:0 was also common. There were 17 significant n-6 and n-3 acid regr ession coefficients, of which 15 were positive; the only two negative correlations were both in embryonic tissues (22:2 and 20:4) and (22:5 and 20:5). Hierarchical cluster analysis of adult crabs showed that ov ary and hepatopancreas fatty acid patterns were similar, while embryon ic tissue is somewhat distinct.