Bodin N., Le Loc'h François, Hily C. (2007). Effect of lipid removal on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in crustacean tissues. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 341 (2), p. 168-175. ISSN 0022-0981.
Titre du document
Effect of lipid removal on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in crustacean tissues
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2007,
341 (2), p. 168-175 ISSN 0022-0981
The analysis of tissue's naturally occurring stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios is a useful tool to delineate trophic relationships. However, the interpretation of delta C-13 and delta N-15 is complicated by the influence of multiple factors such as the tissuespecific lipid content. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of lipid extraction on delta C-13 and delta N-15 compositions in muscle, hepatopancreas and gonads of a marine decapod crustacean, the spider crab Maja brachydacryla. Samples were analyzed for stable isotopes before and after lipid removal, using a derived Soxhlet extraction method. Differences in delta C-13 and delta N-15 were measured among tissues before and after treatment. Lipid extraction of muscle did not have a significant effect on either delta C-13 or delta N-15. By contrast, ecologically significant shifts forbothearbon and nitrogen stable isotopes ratios (+2.9 +/- 0.8 parts per thousand for delta C-13, and +1.2 +/- 0.7 parts per thousand for delta N-15) were noticed in the hepatopancreas. In regard to gonads, lipid extraction led to a shift only on delta C-13 (+1.3 +/- 0.3 parts per thousand). Finally, the derived Soxhlet extraction method removed the lipid influence for delta C-13, and had an effect on delta N-15 composition for lipid-rich samples. We recommend this treatment for carbon stable isotope studies on decapod crustacean lipid-rich tissues.
