Total lipids of the tropical-subtropical starfish Aquilonastra yairi under ocean acidification and warming in the laboratory

Total lipids were studied in the tropical-subtropical starfish Aquilonastra yairi from the culture stock of the ZMT-MAREE laboratory in response to projected near-future global change. To investigate the physicochemical alteration of starfish induced by elevated seawater pCO2 and temperature, starfish of the species A. yairi (342 specimens, size 3-11 mm in diameter, culture stock) were reared in aquaria system under controlled experimental environment conditions at ZMT-MAREE. The starfish were acclimatized to two temperature levels (27 °C, 32 °C) crossed with three pCO2 concentrations (455 µatm, 1052 µatm, 2066 µatm). Total lipids were determined following Bligh and Dyer (1959). Total lipids were unaffected by combined elevated temperature and pCO2, but at elevated temperature, there was an increase in total lipids.