Abstract
Analysis was made of lipid classes and fatty acid compositions in four species of caprellid amphipods (Crustacea) from Otsuchi and Mutsu Bays in northern Japan. Total lipid content ranged from 1.42.3% wet weight with triacylglycerol (TG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) as the lipids most abundantly present. Major fatty acid compositions of total lipids (TL) were in most cases 16 : 0, 18 : 1 (n-9), 20 : 5 (n-3), and 22 : 6 (n-3), constituting 4763% the whole. The amount of 20 : 5 (n-3), the most predominant polyunsaturated fatty acid, in TL was remarkably higher in the cool than warm temperature species (2932% in the former and 2122% in the latter). Differences in TL fatty acid compositions for the two groups were shown to arise from PC in the principal membranes, whereas fatty acid compositions of TG from either group were essentially the same.
