Comparative analysis of the variability of lipid total content in the skeletal muscles of the Baltic herring in the September 2017 and March 2018
The total lipid content (fat content) in skeletal muscles of spring-spawning Baltic herring, caught in September 2017 and March 2018, was determined. It was established that in September herring, with stage III maturity, the average lipid content (7.9%) is slightly higher (p  0.05), provided that the value of the coefficient of variation (87.5%, 69.5%, 71.3%, respectively, for stages III, VI-II and without taking into account the stage of maturity) significantly exceeded the critical value of homogeneity. The authors suggest that, at least in the post-wintering period, when the bulk of Baltic herring is represented by individuals with maturity stage III, gonad maturation processes are not associated with the expenditure of spare muscle lipids or activation of their accumulation, but can be provided by a small amount entering the body food.