Chemical composition of blue crabs from Adriatic sea

Abstract

The population of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun 1896) is booming in the Mediterranean Sea, and it has been classified as an invasive alien species. In this study, blue crabs were caught in the Adriatic Sea and separated into meat and shell, and their composition was analyzed. The two fractions were low in total lipids despite their excellent fatty acid profile, characterized by a high content of unsaturated fatty acids. The shell contained high amounts of ash and chitin. In addition, meat and shell proved to be excellent sources of protein (7-10%) with high nutritional value, albeit some significant differences in the essential amino acid pattern.