Effect of Seasonal Fluctuations on the Nutrient Content of Whole Body of Callinectes pallidus

Due to the effect of species, age, sex, environment and season on the nutrientcomposition of seafood, the effect of seasonal fluctuations on the nutrient content of whole body of Callinectes pallidus caught during dry and wet seasonswas investigated.The proximate composition of the whole body of Callinectes pallidus caught in the month of February (dry season) and June (rainy season)was determined using standard methods, the fatty acid composition was analysed using Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrophotometer and the amino acid composition was analyzed using Amino Acid Analyzer. Parameters such as crude fat, ash content and carbohydrateshowed significant difference (p<0.05) between Callinectes pallidus caught in February and Junewhile moisture content, crude protein and crude fibreshowed no significant difference (p<0.05). The percentage eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for C. pallidus caught in June (18.47%, 10.53%) was higher than those caught in February (11.21%, 6.90%) while the n-6/n-3 ratio of C. pallidus caught in February (1.07) was higher than those caught in June (0.71). Glutamic acid had the highest concentration of non-essential amino acid in C. pallidus caught in both seasons while leucine had the highest concentration of essential amino acids. This study showed that C. pallidus caught in wet season had higher crude protein content, polyunsaturated fatty acids and essential amino acids than C. pallidus caught in dry season.