title: Influence of seasonal and environmental patterns on the lipid content and fatty acid profiles in gonads of the edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus from Sardinia.
abstract: The influence of seasonal and environmental patterns on the lipid fraction of Paracentrotus lividus gonads was investigated. For this purpose, sea urchins were collected monthly over a year from two Sardinian coastal areas. Total lipids in gonads follow an annual cyclical trend, described by a sine wave curve, that it is more influenced by season than by growing area. The lowest lipid content in gonads corresponds to a high percentage of mature reproductive stages (i.e. winter season), independently of sampling area. A variation in total lipid content follows a change in photoperiod, while it is related to sea surface temperature. Multivariate analysis on fatty acid profiles of gonads, detected by gas chromatography, clusters the collected specimens mainly according to the sampling area, secondly according to the sites within the same sampling area and finally according to season.
authors.affiliation: Porto Conte Ricerche S. r. l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte, Capo Caccia, Km 8.400, Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy. Electronic address: siliani@portocontericerche.it.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siliani
authors.affiliation: Porto Conte Ricerche S. r. l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte, Capo Caccia, Km 8.400, Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy. Electronic address: melis@portocontericerche.it.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Melis
authors.affiliation: IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, OR, Italy. Electronic address: b.loi@fondazioneimc.it.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Loi
authors.affiliation: IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, OR, Italy. Electronic address: i.guala@fondazioneimc.it.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Guala
authors.affiliation: IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, 09170 Torregrande, OR, Italy. Electronic address: m.baroli@fondazioneimc.it.
authors.forename: Maura
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baroli
authors.affiliation: Porto Conte Ricerche S. r. l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte, Capo Caccia, Km 8.400, Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy. Electronic address: robsanna@portocontericerche.it.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanna
authors.affiliation: Porto Conte Ricerche S. r. l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte, Capo Caccia, Km 8.400, Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy. Electronic address: uzzau@portocontericerche.it.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uzzau
authors.affiliation: Porto Conte Ricerche S. r. l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte, Capo Caccia, Km 8.400, Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy. Electronic address: roggio@portocontericerche.it.
authors.forename: Tonina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Roggio
authors.affiliation: Porto Conte Ricerche S. r. l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte, Capo Caccia, Km 8.400, Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy. Electronic address: addis@portocontericerche.it.
authors.forename: Maria Filippa
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Addis
authors.affiliation: Porto Conte Ricerche S. r. l., S.P. 55 Porto Conte, Capo Caccia, Km 8.400, Loc. Tramariglio, Alghero, SS, Italy. Electronic address: anedda@portocontericerche.it.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anedda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006066:Gonads / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D007558:Italy; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D047328:Paracentrotus / Q000737:chemistry*; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008055:Lipids
keywords: Lipids; Multivariate analysis; Paracentrotus lividus; Reproductive cycle; Sardinia; Sea urchin