PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE HEMOLYMPH LIPIDS OFMERCENARIA MERCENARIA(MOLLUSCA: BIVALVIA) BY THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY AND ANALYSES OF SERUM FATTY ACIDS DURING STARVATION

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Abstract
TLC analysis of the neutral lipids in the hemolymph cells and serum of 12 specimens of M. mercenaria was performed. Serum fractions contained sterols (81%), free fatty acids (6%), sterol esters (11%) and a small amount of triglyceride (2%). Absolute amounts of cholesterol and triglyceride were 5.2-7.5 mg% and .apprx. 1 mg/100 ml, respectively. More total lipid and nearly all triglyceride was found to be in the cell fraction of the hemolymph. Cholesterol comprised 18% of the hemolymph cell sterols and 13% of the serum sterols. The 5 major fatty acids, in order of decreasing abundance, in the sera of specimens of M. mercenaria harvested in March and June from Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts [USA], were C20:5, C16:0, C22:6, C18:1 and C20:1. A total of 22 fatty acids were resolved with tentative identification made for all of them. Standard deviations of the percent composition of the major fatty acids were greater among specimens harvested in June than among those harvested in March. The effect of starvation on the serum fatty acid profile of clams collected in June was determined. Starved specimens had relatively greater amounts of C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, and C18:1 and reduced levels of C20:1 and C20:5. The C20:5 was 20% lower on day 30 than day 0.

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