Seasonal changes in carotenoid and lipid storage by threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus

Total body astaxanthin and lipid concentrations in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) collected from fall through the start of the breeding season were correlated; concentrations of each increased between fall and spring and decrease during the pre-breeding season. Individual tissues (s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental biology of fishes 2014-02, Vol.97 (2), p.209-214
Main Authors: Black, C. A, Scott, R. J, Bernards, M. A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal and plant ecology
Animal reproduction
Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
astaxanthin
Autoecology
beta-carotene
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
breeding season
Breeding seasons
Environment
Fish
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Gonads
Life Sciences
lipid content
Lipids
Marine biology
Nature Conservation
Nesting
seasonal variation
Seasons
Spring
Vertebrata
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
Zoology
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Summary:Total body astaxanthin and lipid concentrations in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) collected from fall through the start of the breeding season were correlated; concentrations of each increased between fall and spring and decrease during the pre-breeding season. Individual tissues (skin, muscle, viscera, carcass, and gonads) showed a decrease between the spring and pre-breeding seasons; beta-carotene also decreased in all tissues except the skin, where there was an increase. Unlike previous studies, beta-carotene, but not astaxanthin, was deposited in the skin prior to nesting, suggesting that that beta-carotene is the carotenoid responsible for creating the nuptial signal in this wild population.
ISSN:0378-1909
1573-5133
DOI:10.1007/s10641-013-0130-x