Changes in the biochemical composition ofEuphausia superbaDana embryos during early development

✍ Scribed by Margaret O'Leary Amsler; Robert Y. George

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 343 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0722-4060
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00442901

✦ Synopsis

Euphausia superba Dana embryos has been examined at three stages: fresh spawned, gastrula, and limb bud. Fresh spawn embryos had 31% lipid, 1.0% carbohydrate, and 57% protein on a gram dry weight basis. Throughout development lipids were utilized more slowly than in other crustacean embryos for a total utilization of 37.5%. Overall, 35.6% of the starting protein was utilized. On a weight basis, twice as much protein than lipid was used during development, and it appeared that, energetically, protein and lipid contribute equally to the energetics of the developing embryo. Carbohydrate was evidently a minor substrate in early development, although the level increased 38% during development. Average water content was 86% in fresh spawned embryos and 88% in the gastrula stage. The average dry weight of the embryos throughout development was 30 Ixg. The features of planktonic embryos are contrasted with demersal embryos and the atypical metabolic pattern of krill embryos is discussed.