Influence of salinity on the lipid composition and the fatty-acid pattern of muscle and hepatopancreas of the Chinese crab Eriocheir sinensis.

The values of principal lipids and fatty acids from muscle and hepatopancreas of crab E. sinensis living in fresh water or in sea water are determined. Lipid content from these two tissues does not significantly change following a variation in the salinity of the external medium. Nevertheless a slight decrease in the triglyceride concentration (+/- 20%) of hepatopancreas and a very slight increase in the polyunsaturated fatty-acid amount of phospholipids isolated from muscle and hepatopancreas are noted when the crab is transferred from fresh water to sea water.