Abstract

LOPEZ, Sandra; DIAZ, Yusbelly; NORIS, Karem  and  CABRERA, Aivle. Lípidos en el anfípodo Talorchestia margaritae (Amphipoda: Talitridae) y su relación con la ecología de la especie. Rev. biol. trop [online]. 2010, vol.58, n.3, pp.841-855. ISSN 0034-7744.

Lipids in the amphipod Talorchestia margaritae (Amphipoda: Talitridae) and its relationship with the ecology of the species. T. margaritae, an endemic species inhabiting Venezuelan coasts, plays an important ecological role in plant and animal decomposition. To understand this issue in some animal groups, especially small ones, lipid composition analysis has been an interesting tool to describe their trophic relationships and food preferences. In order to assess this and visualize the components of their diet, we determined the lipid composition differences between males and females and among age classes in this species. Two sandy beaches were selected: Mangle Quemao and Las Mercedes de Paparo, from which sand samples of known volume were collected at the supralittoral area in 2007. Organisms were separated by age and sex classes, and their size, weight, density, biomass, total lipids (TL), lipid classes and fatty acid markers present in their tissues were determined. The sizes were similar for all age classes between the two locations, while the weights were higher for Mangle Quemao. The TL and lipid classes showed similar proportions between sexes, age classes and locations (TL: 3-5%; Phospholipids: 20-30%; Glycolipids: <1%; sterols: 4%). On the other hand, Triglycerides (TAG) were higher in Mangle Quemao, which may be related to the difference between the weights of two locations. The most abundant fatty acid biomarkers in the two studied sites were 16:0 and 18:1(n-9); this last one is characteristic of a carnivorous diet. The other nine markers were identified with changes in their distribution in organisms at Mangle Quemao and between males and females of both populations. Based on observed fatty acids markers we can assume T. margaritae as a generalist carnivore. Those populations were influenced by available food; inducing differences in weight, TAG proportion and markers diversity. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (3): 841-855. Epub 2010 September 01.

Keywords : talitrid; fatty acid biomarkers; diet; amphipod; sandy beaches; Venezuela; community structure.

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