Trace elements in the muscle of red shrimp Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) (Crustacea, Decapoda) from Ligurian sea (NW Mediterranean): variations related to the reproductive cycle.

Concentrations of total and organic mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, iron, manganese and zinc were determined in the muscular tissue of 135 specimens of Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816) collected during a 3-year period in the Ligurian sea (NW Mediterranean). The aim of the present work was to study the relationships between the concentrations of these trace elements and the main biological parameters characterising the organisms, i.e. sex and size with special attention to the sexual maturity of the female specimens. Mercury is the only element showing a significant correlation with the size of the specimens, and for this reason it could give some indications about the age of the shrimps. However, comparison between females collected at four different reproductive phases shows that reproductive individuals are characterised by higher levels of mercury with respect to non-reproductive individuals of the same size.