Fatty acid content of POM, sediment, foraminifer and peracarid samples obtained during POLARSTERN cruise ANT-XXIV/2 (PS71) ...

• Main Authors: Würzberg, Laura, Peters, Janna, Brandt, Angelika
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2011
• Subjects: International Polar Year 2007-2008 IPY; Priority Programme 1158 Antarctic Research with Comparable Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas SPP1158; Antarctic; Arctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Foraminifera*; International Polar Year; IPY; Phytoplankton; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.842204; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.842204

In order to investigate the diversity of diet composition in macrobenthic peracarid crustaceans from the Antarctic shelf and deep sea, the fatty acid (FA) composition of different species belonging to the orders Isopoda, Amphipoda, Cumacea and Tanaidacea was analysed. Multivariate analyses of the FA composition confirmed general differences between the orders, but also distinct differences within these orders. To gain information on the origin of the FAs found, the potential food sources sediment, POM and foraminiferans were included in the study. Most of the analysed amphipod species displayed high 18:1(n-9)-18:1(n-7) ratios, widely used as an indicator for a carnivorous component in the diet. Cumaceans were characterised by increased phytoplankton FA markers such as 20:5(n-3) (up to 29% of total FAs), suggesting a diet based on phytodetritus. High values of the FA 20:4(n-6) were found in some munnopsid isopods (up to 21% of total FAs) and some tanaidacean species (up to 19% of total FAs). 20:4(n-6) also ... : Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150 ...