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DOI

  • Sara Lopes-Santos
    University of Coimbra
  • José C Xavier
    University of Coimbra
  • José Seco
    University of Coimbra
  • João P Coelho
    University of Aveiro
  • Philip R Hollyman
    British Antarctic Survey (BAS)School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University
  • Eduarda Pereira
    Departamento de Química & Laboratório Central de Análises
  • Richard A Phillips
    British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
  • José P Queirós
    University of Coimbra

Cephalopods play a major role in marine food webs as both predators and prey. Although most of the Hg in cephalopods is present in the muscle, most studies on its accumulation by predators are based on concentrations in beaks. Here, using upper and lower beaks and buccal masses of Moroteuthopsis longimana, we evaluated the relationship between Hg concentrations in different cephalopod tissues. Hg concentrations in muscle tissue (329.9 ± 166.4 ng.g-1 dw) were ≈100-fold higher than in different sections of the upper (3.5 ± 1.4 ng.g-1 dw) and lower (3.5 ± 1.0 ng.g-1 dw) beaks. A positive linear relationship was found between the Hg in the beak wing and in the muscle. Hg concentrations in the wing are therefore a useful proxy for the total Hg body burden, and their analysis provides a means of assessing the levels, transport and fate of Hg in marine ecosystems.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)106841
JournalMarine Environmental Research
Volume204
Early online date16 Nov 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2025
Externally publishedYes
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