Lipids and trophic interactions of ice fauna and pelagic zooplankton in the marginal ice zone of the Barents Sea

Gammarus wilkitzkii, Apherusa glacialis, Onismus nanseni, Onismus glacialis , Boreogadus saida, Parathemisto libellula and Calanus hyperboreus, collect ed in late June in the Barents Sea marginal ice zone, contained substantial levels (28-51% of the dry mass) of total lipid, the highest levels (51% an d 41% respectively) being in A. glacialis and C. hyperboreus. Neutral lipid s were present in greater amounts than polar lipids in all species. Triacyl glycerols were major neutral lipids in A. glacialis, G. wilkitzkii and O. n anseni; triacylglycerols and wax esters were present in similar amounts in O. glacialis; higher levels of wax esters than triacylglycerols occurred in P. libellula; wax esters greatly exceeded triacylglycerols in C. hyperbore us, the opposite being true for B. saida. Diatom fatty acid markers were pr ominent in the triacylglycerols of G. wilkitzkii, O. nanseni, O. glacialis and, particularly, of A. glacialis; 20:1(n-9) and 22:1(n-11) moieties were abundant in wax esters of G. wilkitzkii, O. nanseni, O. glacialis, P. libel lula and C. hyperboreus, and in triacylglycerols of B. saida. We deduce tha t A. glacialis feeds mainly on ice algae and phytodetritus, G. wilkitzkii a nd the Onismus spp. feed on calanoid copepods as well as ice algae, whereas P. libellula and especially B. saida feed extensively on calanoid copepods .