Lipid and mercury profiles of 61 mid-trophic species collected off south-eastern Australia

Type Article
Date 2010
Language English
Author(s) Pethybridge H.1, 2, 4, Daley R.1, 4, Virtue P.2, Butler E. C. V.1, 4, Cossa Daniel3, Nichols P. D.1, 4
Affiliation(s) 1 : CSIRO Wealth Oceans Natl Res Flagship, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia.
2 : Univ Tasmania, IMAS, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia.
3 : Ctr Mediterranee, IFREMER, F-83507 La Seyne Sur Mer, France.
4 : CSIRO Marine & Atmospher Res, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia.
Source Marine And Freshwater Research (1323-1650) (Csiro Publishing), 2010 , Vol. 61 , N. 10 , P. 1092-1108
DOI 10.1071/MF09237
WOS© Times Cited 19
Keyword(s) deep-sea, ecosystem dynamics, fatty acids, lipids, mercury, mid-trophic prey, mid-water
Abstract Total mercury (Hg) concentrations and lipid composition data, including fatty acid profiles, for 61 midtrophic species (fish, cephalopods, crustaceans) collected from continental slope waters off south-east Australia were examined. Overall, Hg concentrations were greatest in fish (0.01-0.30 mu g g(-1) ww) (with highest content found in barracouta (Thyrsites atun) and whiptails (Coelorinchus fasciatus)), compared with cephalopods (0.01 and 0.17 mu g g(-1) ww) and crustaceans (<0.04 mu g g(-1) ww). Lipid composition varied between species and within habitat (mesopelagic, bathypelagic and benthic). Mean total lipid content ranged from 0.5 to 13.2% ww, and in most species was dominated by triacylglycerols and phospholipids. In fish and squid, fatty acids were generally dominated by monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas crustaceans were higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Multidimensional scaling analyses separated species into groupings according to their fatty acid composition that could be interpreted with taxonomic, trophic and habitat information. Discriminant function analyses indicated the most influential (predictor) fatty acids for each group. Biochemical profile classifications can be used in wider trophodynamic studies to understand contaminant transfer, trophic relationships and community dynamics in marine environments.
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Pethybridge H., Daley R., Virtue P., Butler E. C. V., Cossa Daniel, Nichols P. D. (2010). Lipid and mercury profiles of 61 mid-trophic species collected off south-eastern Australia. Marine And Freshwater Research, 61(10), 1092-1108. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1071/MF09237 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00016/12685/