Changes in the Biochemical and Fatty Acids Composition of Different Body Parts of Warty Crab (Eriphia Verrucosa, Forsskål, 1775) Caught from the Southeastern Black Sea and Their Relationship to Seasons and Sex

The study was carried out by taking samples from 10 different stations between the Giresun and Hopa coasts of the Southeastern Black Sea. In this study, the nutritional value of various edible body parts (carapace, right and left claw, and legs) of the warty crab (Eriphia verrucosa, Forsskål, 1775) was evaluated, sex seasonal proximal biochemical and fatty acid composition were compared. The highest content of protein (20.85%) was found in females (left claw) in winter and the highest content of fat (1.11%) in males (legs) in winter. Furthermore, the most dominant fatty acids in the fatty acid composition were Palmitic acid (11.2-13.9%) in SFA, Oleic acid (10.09-15.7%) in MUFA, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 17.5-21.9%) in PUFA. There were no significant differences in SFA and MUFA contents in the fatty acid composition of female and male crab flesh meat samples except for the spring and summer seasons. However, Differences were obtained between the sexes in the n-3 and EPA+DHA fatty acid values in the spring season (p<0.05). In addition, the amount of EPA+DHA in 100g of edible crab meat was varied in 137.7-219.3 mg.