GLYCOGEN CONTENT OF SOME ORGANS IN TWO MARINE CRUSTACEANS.

GLYCOGEN CONTENT OF SOME ORGANS

IN TWO MARINE CRUSTACEANS.

A. M. HILMY*, N. F. ADD EL-HAMID** AND KH. U. ADHAM*.
*
*~partment of Zoology. Faculty of Science. Alex. Univ., Alex.• Egypt.

Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries. Alexandria. Egypt.

ABSTRACT
Investigations were carried out on the glycogen content
of both sexes of two crustacean species. Portunus pelagicus
and Penaeus kerathurus. of different maturity stages.
Marked variations with maturity and sex were detected
in the levels of total glycogen in the muscle. hepatopancreas
and gonads of the prawn and the muscles of the crab. The
pattern of change in the crab hepatopancreas and gonads
showed a quite different pattern data as cOh.pared with
the glycogen levels in those of the above mentioned
individuals.
The result leads to the general conclusion that crustacean
intermediary metabloism centres mainly as glycogen.
Hypotheses about the metabolic processes in the crustacea
suffer f.rom i nsuffi cient knowl edge about the norma I
metabolism of the animals. and also from the lack of pure
hormone preparations. Detailed and convincing studies on
the control of metabolism in crustacea must await the
ava1iabi1ity of pure hormone preparations.