CHANGES IN LIPIDS AND BIOCHEMICAL-PROPERTIES OF ACTOMYOSIN FROM PRESPAWNED AND POSTSPAWNED HAKE (MERLUCCIUS-HUBBSI MARINI)

The total lipid contents of muscle, the liver somatic index and the to tal lipid contents of actomyosin in bakes changed with the gonadal con dition of the fish. Non-polar lipids in actomyosin from pre-spawned ha ke were 145% higher than in actomyosin from post-spawned hake; polar l ipids were 30% higher. The relative percentage of phospholipids change d from 32% in pre-spawned hake to 48% in post-spawned bake. The Mg2+-A TPase activity in actomyosin increased from the pre-spawned to the pos t-spawned conditions, and this could be related to a higher phospholip ids to neutral lipids ratio in post-spawned hake. Gradual decreases in both Ca2+-ATPase activity and myosin:actin ratio during the gonadal d evelopment of fish were found, suggesting a partial loss of myosin fun ctionality of the actomyosin complex.