CHANGES IN LIPID CLASS AND FATTY-ACID CONTENTS IN THE OVARY AND MIDGUT GLAND OF THE FEMALE FIDDLER-CRAB UCA TANGERI (DECAPODA, OCYPODIADAE)DURING MATURATION

Changes in biochemical composition, lipid class and fatty acid content s were studied in the ovaries and midgut glands of the fiddler crabs U ca tangeri Eydoux during maturation. Wild females were caught during s pring and early summer of 1992 in the Bay of Cadiz (southwest Spain), near the mouth of the San Pedro river. Protein and total lipid content s in the ovaries increased significantly from Stages III to IV, at the expense of total carbohydrate, which showed a large decrease during t he same period. In the midgut gland, the protein content did not prese nt any significant variation, whereas total lipids and total carbohydr ates presented opposite up and down trends during maturation. In the o vary, total polar lipids increased significantly during the final phas e of maturation (Stages III to IV), mainly due to the significant cont ribution of the phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine fract ions. In contrast, total neutral lipids showed an upward trend through out the whole maturation period, mainly due to significant increases o f the triacylglycerol fraction. In the midgut gland, total polar lipid s (mainly phosphatidylcholine) and total neutral lipids (mainly triacy lglycerol) presented significant decreases from Stages II to III, the phase which preceded major increases in both polar and neutral lipids in the ovaries. Cholesterol content did not vary during maturation in either organ, in the ovary or midgut gland. Major fatty acids in the o varies [16:0, 16:1 (n-7), 18.1 (n-9), 18:1 (n-7), 18:2 (n-6), 18:3 (n- 3), 20:4 (n-6), 20:5 (n-3) and 22:6 (n-3)] did, however, accumulate si gnificantly at later stages of maturation. It is noteworthy that arach idonic acid [20:4 (n-6)] content remained constant during all stages o f maturation but decreased significantly in total polar lipids in the later phases of maturation. In contrast, eicosapentaenoic acid [20:5 ( n-3)] increased significantly in all lipid fractions in the later stag es, and docosahexaenoic acid [22:6 (n-3)] remained constant in the pol ar lipids and increased during later stages in the triacylglycerol fra ction. Major fatty acids in the midgut gland lipids showed significant decreases from Stages II to III, just before the final period of matu ration.