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<p>In phocid seals, the fatty acid composition of blubber can be modified during energetically demanding periods, such as fasting, when lipid reserves are mobilised to meet metabolic demands. This study describes the fatty acid composition of the inner, middle, and outer blubber layers of recently moulted southern elephant seals from Southern Patagonia to evaluate blubber stratification during the moulting fast. For this, 8 adult females and 9 juvenile males were sampled during January of 2024 and 2025 in Jackson Bay, Tierra del Fuego, Chile (54°26′53′′ S 69°00′06′′ W). The fatty acid composition across the blubber depth showed stratification, with the inner and outer blubber layers exhibiting the largest dissimilarities. Monounsaturated fatty acids were dominant across blubber layers, while polyunsaturated fatty acids showed the lowest contributions, especially 20:5n-3. Blubber was highly stratified during the moult, which was best explained by the variable sex, followed by standard length. The stratification index showed marked variability among individuals, with adult females exhibiting higher stratification than juvenile males. This greater stratification observed in adult females is presumably due to greater energy expenditure during the breeding season, when they nurse a pup whilst fasting, followed by a shorter foraging trip before moulting compared to juvenile males, and is consistent with the lower lipid content found in the inner blubber layer of adult females. Our findings confirm a high stratification of the blubber during moulting and reflect the importance of considering physiological condition in studies based on the blubber layer.</p>

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Fatty acid composition and blubber stratification in moulting southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from Tierra del Fuego, Southern Patagonia

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月23日

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  • Antonia Carrasco-Cárdenas,
  • Alicia I. Guerrero,
  • Maritza Sepúlveda,
  • Mauricio F. Landaeta,
  • Josefina Gutiérrez,
  • Sonja Heinrich,
  • Manuel I. Castillo,
  • Andrea Piñones,
  • Luis A. Hückstädt,
  • Fadia Tala,
  • Michael Araya,
  • Carmen Barrios-Guzmán

摘要

In phocid seals, the fatty acid composition of blubber can be modified during energetically demanding periods, such as fasting, when lipid reserves are mobilised to meet metabolic demands. This study describes the fatty acid composition of the inner, middle, and outer blubber layers of recently moulted southern elephant seals from Southern Patagonia to evaluate blubber stratification during the moulting fast. For this, 8 adult females and 9 juvenile males were sampled during January of 2024 and 2025 in Jackson Bay, Tierra del Fuego, Chile (54°26′53′′ S 69°00′06′′ W). The fatty acid composition across the blubber depth showed stratification, with the inner and outer blubber layers exhibiting the largest dissimilarities. Monounsaturated fatty acids were dominant across blubber layers, while polyunsaturated fatty acids showed the lowest contributions, especially 20:5n-3. Blubber was highly stratified during the moult, which was best explained by the variable sex, followed by standard length. The stratification index showed marked variability among individuals, with adult females exhibiting higher stratification than juvenile males. This greater stratification observed in adult females is presumably due to greater energy expenditure during the breeding season, when they nurse a pup whilst fasting, followed by a shorter foraging trip before moulting compared to juvenile males, and is consistent with the lower lipid content found in the inner blubber layer of adult females. Our findings confirm a high stratification of the blubber during moulting and reflect the importance of considering physiological condition in studies based on the blubber layer.