Effects of Gender and Season on Potentially Toxic Metal Levels in Muscles of Adult Blue Swimmer Crabs (Portunus pelagicus) from the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea

Deniz AYAS

Abstract

Effects of Gender and Season on Potentially Toxic Metal Levels in Muscles of Adult Blue Swimmer Crabs (Portunus pelagicus) from the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea The effects of gender and season on potentially toxic metal levels in two muscle types (lump crabmeat, LCM, and chela crabmeat, CCM) of adult blue swimmer crabs, Portunus pelagicus, caught in Mersin Bay, Northeastern Mediterranean Sea, were investigated. In each season, the muscle tissues from 40 individuals of each sex were taken out by hand. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer was used to determine metal levels in samples.