Biochemical Studies on some Zooplankton off the West Coast of India

Abstract

Proximate biochemical analyses on twelve zooplankton species showed that protein was the predominant biochemical component followed by lipid. Carbohydrate content was very low especially in species with high water content or calcareous shell. The overall mean values calculated as a percentage of dry weight was 46.06% protein, 11.4% lipid and 2.6% carbohydrate. No reciprocal relationship was noticed between protein and lipid fractions. The organic carbon content fluctuated from 19.2 to 41.4% (Av. 31.3%). Zooplankters with poor organic carbon usually gave low caloric value. The results indicate that protein may function as a metabolic reserve in tropical zooplankton species