Contribution to the nutritional value of the sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) from the Adriatic Sea
Abstract
327 specimens of sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus), collected in the bay of Rijeka, were investigated from Nov. 4, 1959 till June 27, 1961. The diameter of the above animals, total weight of hard parts (shell and Aristotel’s lantern), liquid content, fleshy parts, esp. the gonads and bowels, were measured (Plate I).
Special attention has been paid to the nutritive value of fleshy parts, i. e. gonads and bowels. Plate IV shows the content of water, dry matter, fats, proteins, glycogen, ash and energetic value of gonads. Plate V shows the conducted analysis of bowels. Gonads are high caloric food with 4,7% of fats, 11,5% of proteins and 3,8% of glycogen, resp. the energetic value of 100 g in fresh state gives 105 Cal. If we compare them with 100 g of oysters, the sea urchins give 25 Cal more than the oysters of our sea.
The results of former investigators were verified, viz. that the Paracentrotus lividus is the most abundant sea urchin of the Adriatic, which is present almost throughout the coastal zone, but as it comes only in small specimens, and on account of low coutent of eatable matter (11,1%) it has no importance as a food. The authors estimate, that only the animals with diameter of shells of 4,5 cm or more, have some significance for food.
It was stated that the spawning lowers the weight of gonads to half and that the sea urchins at that time contain much more liquid (Plate II) and their bowels lose energetic value, because the content of fats and glycogen lowers. (Plate V, Nr. 6, 8, 9).
