FAU Institutional Repository http://purl.fcla.edu/fau/fauir This paper was submitted by the faculty of FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Notice: ©1990 Springer. This manuscript is an author version with the final publication available at http://www.springerlink.com and may be cited as: McClintock, J. B., Cameron, J. L., & Young, C. M. (1990). Biochemical and energetic composition of bathyal echinoids and an asteroid, holothuroid and crinoid from the Bahamas. Marine Biology, 105(2), 175‐183. doi:10.1007/BF01344284 ('!J' 1) Marine Biology 105. 175-183 (1990) Marine ==: Biology © Springer-Verlag 1990 Biochemical and energetic composition of bathyal echinoids and an asteroid, holothuroid and crinoid from the Bahamas J. B. McClintock 1, J. L. Cameron 2 and C. M. Young 2 1 Department of Biology. University of Alabama at Birmingham. University Station, Birmingham. Alabama 35294, USA 2 Department of Larval Ecology, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. 5600 Old Dixie Highway. Fort Pierce. Florida 34946. USA Date of final manuscript acceptance: February 2, 1990. Communicated by 1. M. Lawrence. Tampa Abstract. The biochemical 'and energetic composition of Walker et al. (1987 a, b) reported on the biochemical and body components often species ofbathyal echinoids, and energy content ofcommon bathyal and abyssal elaspodid an asteroid, a holothuroid and a stalked crinoid were and aspidochirote holothurians from the Atlantic Ocean. determined from individuals sampled from a variety of These authors noted that dense populations of echino­ deep-water sites near the Bahamas (north Caribbean Sea) derms often dominate megafaunal biomass in deep At­ in October 1988. When compared with other studies of lantic Ocean waters. At bathyal depths (300 to 900 m) in echinoderms, no geographic- or depth-related differences the vicinity of the Bahamas in the northern Caribbean in biochemical or energetic composition were found. Sea, benthic megafaunal biomass is also dominated by Body-wall tissues were composed primarily of skeletal echinoderms (1. Miller personal communication). Regu­ material (mineral ash), but were comparatively high in lar and irregular echinoids are particularly abundant. organic material in the echinothuriid echinoids, and the and holothuroids and stalked crinoids occur in large pop­ asteroid and holothuroid. Gut tissues and pyloric cecae ulations (c. Young and L. Cameron unpublished data). had high levels of lipid and protein, indicating their po­ The purpose of the present study was to provide in­ tential role in nutrient storage. Body-wall tissues were formation on the biochemical and energetic composition generally low in energy, but were highest in the echinoids ofsomatic tissues of bathyal echinoderms. This informa­ Araeosoma belli (7.7 kJ g " I dry wt) and Sperosoma antil­ tion is of comparative interest with regard to shallow­ lense (8.0 kJ g- I dry wt), the asteroid Ophidiaster alexan­ water species and species from temperate and polar lati­ dri (8.9 kJ g " I dry wt), and the holothuroid Eostichopus tudes. and may provide insight into the functional role of regalis (13.1 kJ g - I dry wt). Energy levels of gut and echinoderm body-tissues. Moreover. when coupled with pyloric cecal tissues were two to three times higher than measurements of echinoderm densities. these data can be those of body-wall tissues. Total somatic tissue energy used to estimate the energetic densities of bathyal echino­ values varied greatly among species, ranging from 1.5 kJ derm populations. in the echinoid Aspidodiadema jacobyi to 142.1 kJ in E. regalis. As the bathyal echinoderms examined in this study occur in great abundance. they represent a signifi­ Materials and methods cant reservoir of organic and inorganic materials and Adults of ten species of echinoids. the asteroid Ophidiastcr alexan­ energy in deep-water benthic systems. dri. the holothuroid Eostichopus regalis, and the crinoid Neocrinus decorus were collected using a manned submersible (Table 1). The location and depth of collection was recorded for each species. Individuals were dissected aboard ship. and the somatic tissues were Introduction frozen until lyophilization. Echinoids were dissected into body wall, lantern. and gut tissues. In species with long spines. the spines were separated from the body wall and treated as a separate body compo­ The biochemical and energetic cornposruon of echino­ nent. The asteroid was dissected into body wall and pyloric cecae. derm body-components has been reported for a number the holothuroid into body wall and gut. and the crinoid into arms. of shallow-water tropical, temperate, and polar environ­ stalks. and cirri. Intact body components were weighed. subsarn­ ments (Giese 1966. 1976. Lawrence 1973, Lawrence and pled. lyophilized. reweighed. and ground into a line powder in a Guille 1982. Magniez 1983, McClintock and Pearse Wiley Mill. 1987 a, b, Wacasey and Atkinson 1987. McClintock TCA-soluble carbohydrate and NaOH-soluble protein were measured spectrophotornetrically using the techniques of Lowry 1989 a, b). However. few studies have examined the bio­ et al. (1951) and Dubois et al. (1956). respectively. Chloroform­ chemical and energetic composition of bathyal and methanol-soluble lipid was determined gravimetrically using the tech­ abyssal echinoderms. Sibuet and Lawrence (1981) and nique of Freeman et al. (1957). Ash was measured by placing lyo- 176 J B. McClintock et al.: Biochemical/energetic composition of bathyal echinoderms Table 1. Collection locations and depths for bathyal echinoderms collected in October 1988 for biochemical and energetic analyses Species Longitude; Location Depth Latitude (m) Class Echinoidea Subclass Perischoechinoidea Order Cidaroida Family Cidaridae Calocidaris micans 23Q55.9'N; French Bay, 484-493 74°33.52'W San Salvador Styiocydaris lineata 24°2.25'N; Tartar Bank, 617 75Q28.15'W Cat Island Subclass Euechinoidea Superorder Diadematacea Order Echinothurioida Family Echinothuriidae Araeosoma belli 24D2.01'N; Cockburn Town. 676-722 74°32.40'W San Salvador Phormosoma placenta 24' 3.55'N; Cockburn Town, 676-722 74°32.29'W San Salvador Sperosoma antillense 24°6.35'N; Rocky Point 291 74°32.7'W San Salvador Order Diadematoida Family Aspidodiadematidae Aspidodiadema jacobyi 24°2.01'N; Cockburn Town, 728 74"32.40'W San Salvador Superorder Atelostomata Order Spatangoida Family Asterostomatidae Archaeopneustes histrix 24'2.01'N; Cockburn Town. 607 74'32.40'W San Salvador Linopneustes longispinus 24'02.5'N: Cockburn Town, 662 74°32.40'\\, San Salvador Palaeopneustes cristatus 2402.5'N: Cockburn Town. 584 74'32.40'W San Salvador Palaeobrissus hilgardi 24'02.5N; Cockburn Town, 637-659 7432.4'\\, San Salvador Class Stelleroidea Subclass Asteroidea Order Valvatida Family Ophidiasteridae Ophidiastcr alexandri 24 2.25'N; Tartar Bank. 636-669 752lU5'W Cat Island Class Holothuroidea Order Aspidochirota Family Stichopodidae Eostichopus regalis 25 27.52'N: Egg Reef 421 7654.32'\\, Class Crinoidea Order Isocrinida Family Isocrinidae Neocrinus decorus 23 57.42'N: Sandy Point. 479 7434.45'\\' San Salvador philized tissues into a muffle furnace at 500 'C for 4 h (Paine 1971). The total amount of energy allocated to each somatic tissue was The remaining organic refractory material was considered to be calculated by multiplying the kJ g I dry wt tissue of each compo­ NaOH-insoluble protein (Lawrence and Kafri 1979). The energetic nent by the total dry wt of [he intact body component. These values composition of the tissue was calculated by multiplying the values were summed, yielding the total somatic energy content ofan indivi­ of each of the organic classes by energy equivalents (Brody 1945) dual. IS 1.B. McClintock et al.: Biochemical/energetic composition of bathyal echinoderms 177 An ANOYA was used to make comparisons of body-wall bio­ Results chemical compositions within those groups of echinoids whose body-wall tissues were combined with short spines, and those whose The biochemical composition ofthe body-wall tissues are body-wall tissues were analyzed separately. Percentage data were transformed before statistical analysis using an arc-sine transforma­ presented in Table 2. The body-wall tissues of echinoids tion. When significant differences were detected with the ANOYA, from which the body wall and spine measurements were 95% confidence limits allowed an evaluation of where significant combined were composed primarily of mineral ash, with differences occurred. values ranging from 69.8% dry wt in the echinothuriid 100 Ash F - 168.44. P = 0.000 100 Ash F ~ 100.05. P = 0.000 ~o 90 - - 80 80 n .. 1.0 Soluble Carbohydrate F = 0.47, P - 0.755 1.0 - Soluble Carbohydrate F = 4.08. P = 0.044 0.8 0.8 -t- 0.6 + - - r+ 0.6 ~ 0.4 r- - 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.0 r:1 e- I o 0.0 1 I 1 I ...­ c ....­ CIl 10.0 Soluble Lipid c (J F = 2.72, p ~ 0.080 CIl 10.0 Soluble Lipid .. (J r ~ 1.58, P = 0.261 CIl .. o, 8.0 CIl a, 8.0 6.0 6.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 0.0 O.a-t--......,.'"'------'Y--......,.'"'------'Y----, 20.0 Soluble Protein F - 31.43. p = 0.000 20.0 Soluble Protein r = 19.12. P = 0.000 15.0 r+ .-- r- 15.0 10.0 10.0 5.0 5.0 0.0 n n I I o. a+--....,..L---'-,r'-----J.,..L---Y---, ..s> i;:, ~ i)- 0 6 -s ~ ~ 0 -o t' :.§' 0 6' ~ ii' .~ f ~ ::s e o~ s .::;," J5 e 0 .r;> ~ .;; t ....... ~ E -0 et' 0 0" ~ ,f ~ ~ 0 ,?Q. Q..0 Q..-<: Fig. 1. Biochemical composition (ash. soluble carbohydrate. solu­ Fig. 2. Biochemical composition (ash. soluble carbohydrate. solu­ ble lipid. soluble protein) of body wall and associated short spines ble lipid. soluble protein) of body wall (no spines included) of four of five species of bathyal echinoids collected in October 1988 from species of bathyal echinoids collected in October 1988 from Ba­ Bahamas.