Seasonal Changes in Biochemical Composition of the Common Cockle (Cerastoderma Edule), From the Marmara Sea, Turkey

The experiment was carried in Çanakkale at the Marmara sea region from March 2011 to February 2012. Cerostoderma edule were seasonally collected. On each sampling date, temperature and salinity were determined. Biochemical composition of cockles (protein, lipid, carbohydrate, moisture and ash) was investigated. In the study, temperature is varied from 9.7 °C (winter) to 21.5 °C (summer) and salinity varied form 22.1 psu (summer and autumn) to 23.00 psu (spring). Seasonal values of lipid, protein, carbohydrate, ash and moisture of cockles ranged from 2.32 to 3.81%, from 47.93 to 69.31%, from 5.1 to 19.74%, from 17.44 to 35.98% and from 86.44 to 87.32% respectively. Consequently, this the first known investigation which showed that C.edule is alternative species for production at the region but seasonal sampling is unsatisfied for understanding reproductive activity; therefore monthly sampling would be advisable.