The Effect of Anoxia on the Content and Composition of Carotenoids in the Tissues of the Bivalve Invader Anadara kagoshimensis (Tokunaga, 1906)

The work examined the influence of experimental anoxia on the content and qualitative composition of carotenoids in the tissues of the bivalve invader Anadara kagoshimensis (Tokunaga, 1906) under experimental conditions. The oxygen content in the water was reduced by nitrogen sparging for five hours. The exposure lasted three days. Tissue samples (gills, foot, and hepatopancreas) were collected before the experiment (control), as well as on the first, second, and third day of the experiment. The water temperature was maintained at 16–17°C. It is shown that, in anoxia, carotenoids are redistributed in favor of respiratory surfaces. In the gills, the proportion of pink-scarlet pigments, that is, pectenolone and its esters (pectenolone complex), increases. The relative content of pectenolone esters significantly increases in all studied organs; there is also a slight increase observed in the levels of allo-, diato-, and zeaxanthin esters.