Macroelements content of Common Pacific squid (Loligo opalescens)

The macroelement (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) concentrations have been determined in various tissues of the Common Pacific squid, Loligo opalescens. The method of measurement was flame atomic emission (sodium and potassium) and absorption (calcium and magnesium) spectrometry. Edible tissues such as the tube (mantle), arms and crown, and fin contained: from 3.3 +/- 0.4 to 3.9 +/- 1.5 (1.9-6.8) g/kg wet weight of sodium; from 5.3 +/- 0.6 to 6.3 +/- 2.7 (3.3-14) g/kg of potassium; 38 +/- 7 to 100 +/- 34 (28-200) mg/kg of calcium; and from 510 +/- 100 to 950 +/- 280 (340-1500) mg/kg of magnesium. The other tissues or organs examined frequently contained a higher concentration of macroelements than the edible flesh. Statistically significant correlations between the body weight of squid and macroelement concentrations or between some pairs of metals in whole squid, mantle and hepatopancreas have been observed.