Lipid profiles of hydrothermal vent shrimps

• Published in: Cahiers de biologie marine Vol. 39; no. 3-4; pp. 229 - 231
• Main Authors: COPLEY, C. E. A, TYLER, P. A, VARNEY, M. S
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Roscoff Ed. de la station biologique 1998
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine; Nematocarcinus gracilis; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Rimicaris exoculata; Atlantic Ocean; Mid-ocean ridges; Mid-Atlantic Ridge; AN, Mid-Atlantic Ridge; Crustacea; Marine environment; Hydrothermal vent; Life cycle; Reef; Arthropoda; Lipids; Chemical composition; Habitat; Decapoda; Invertebrata; Ocean floors
• ISSN: 0007-9723; 2262-3094

The lipid profiling technique used here combines total lipid, lipid class and fatty acid composition of an organism to inform us about lipid function and sources of organic matter. The lipid profiles of the organisms studied are discussed in terms of their ecological significance to the life history strategy of hydrothermal vent shrimps. Rimicaris exoculata were collected from the TAG hydrothermal mound, Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Postlarval bresiliids were collected from the water column above the Broken Spur vent field. Allozyme analysis confirmed that the small, oily, orange bresiliids collected at TAG were juvenile R. exoculata. The identity of the postlarval bresiliids collected from above the Broken Spur vent field is uncertain. They probably included R. exoculata, Chorocaris chacei and Alvinocaris markensis Williams, 1988. Nematocarcinus gracilis were collected from a depth of 900 m in the Arabian Sea in October 1994. Mean total lipid and lipid class composition for large adult, small adult and juvenile R. exoculata, postlarval bresiliids and N. gracilis are presented. Juvenile R. exoculata and postlarval bresiliids had elevated levels of total lipid tissue concentration compared to adults and non-vent shrimps. This increase is accounted for by very high levels of wax esters per gram dry weight of tissue. Wax esters were not detected in N. gracilis and wax ester levels in adult R. exoculata decreased with increasing size. Triglyceride was the major neutral lipid in N. gracilis and adult R. exoculata.