Mineral concentration in tissues during ovarian development of the white shrimp Penaeus vannamei (Decapoda : Penaeidae)

Levels of calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, and manganese were examin ed in the muscle, hepatopancreas, and gonad of white shrimp, Penaeus vannam ei, females at different stages of ovary maturation. Eyestalk-ablated shrim p were sampled during the intermolt stage and classified using the followin g maturation stages evaluated histologically: cortical stage, vitellogenesi s, previtellogenesis, and without gonadic development. In muscle, the coppe r concentration was significantly lower in the vitellogenic stage than in o ther stages of ovary development. In the hepatopancreas, manganese levels w ere higher in the cortical and vitellogenic stages than in animals in previ tellogenesis and without gonadic development. No other influence of ovary m aturation on muscle and hepatopancreas mineral content was found. In contra st, in the ovary, significant differences of some mineral concentrations we re detected. Zinc, iron, and magnesium concentrations were significantly in creased in the cortical stage compared to the vitellogenic and previtelloge nic stages. Our results indicate that these elements are selectively accumu lated during ovary development, especially when the ovaries reach the corti cal stage.