Lipid indicators of the diet of the sympagic amphipod Gammarus wilkitzkii in the Marginal Ice Zone and in open waters of Svalbard (Arctic)

Citation
Cl. Scott et al., Lipid indicators of the diet of the sympagic amphipod Gammarus wilkitzkii in the Marginal Ice Zone and in open waters of Svalbard (Arctic), POLAR BIOL, 24(8), 2001, pp. 572-576
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Biology
Journal title
POLAR BIOLOGY
ISSN journal
07224060 → ACNP
Volume
24
Issue
8
Year of publication
2001
Pages
572 - 576
Database
ISI
SICI code
0722-4060(200108)24:8<572:LIOTDO>2.0.ZU;2-U
Abstract
Triacylglycerols were the major lipid and wax esters a minor lipid in the A rctic autochthonous, sympagic amphipod, Gammarus wilkitzkii, from less than 1 year old to 3 years old in the Marginal Ice Zone around Svalbard. The fa tty acids of the triacylglycerols, especially in young G. wilkitzkii, were mainly characteristic of diatoms and, to a lesser extent, flagellates. Smal l amounts of 20:1n-9 and 22:1n-11 fatty acids characteristic of calanoid co pepods were also present in the triacylglycerols in young G. wilkitzkii fro m the Marginal Ice Zone and the amounts of both of these fatty acids increa sed in the triacylglycerols as the animals matured. G. wilkitzkii in open w aters in Kongsfjord had minor amounts of triacylglycerols rich in 20:1n-9 a nd 22:1n-11 and major amounts of wax esters characteristic of calanoid cope pods. We conclude that young G. wilkitzkii in the Marginal Ice Zone feed pr edominantly on ice algae and that they consume increasing amounts of calano id copepods as they mature, albeit with ice algae remaining a prominent com ponent of their diet. In open waters, young G. wilkitzkii consume mainly ca lanoid copepods.