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Updated: Jul 26, 2025

Synchrotron X-ray Microdiffraction and Fluorescence Imaging of Mineral and Rock Samples
Published on: June 19, 2018
Examining the inorganic elemental composition of lobster phyllosoma (Panulirus ornatus) with X-ray fluorescence
Daniel R McDougall1, Robert Deas1, Daryl L Howard2
1School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.
Abstract:
The ornate spiny rock lobster, Panulirus ornatus, is an attractive candidate for aquaculture. The larval stages of spiny lobsters, known as phyllosoma, are complex with many developmental stages. Very little is known about the inorganic element composition of phyllosoma. In this study, a novel method using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) was applied to investigate the distributions of metals potassium (K), calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), the metalloid arsenic (As), and nonmetal bromine (Br) within individual phyllosoma at stages 3, 4, and 8 of their development. For the first time, 1 µm resolution synchrotron XFM images of whole phyllosoma as well as closer examinations of their eyes, mouths, setae, and tails were obtained. Elements accumulated in certain locations within phyllosoma, providing insight into their likely biological role for these organisms. This information may be useful for the application of dietary supplementation in the future to closed larval cycle lobster aquaculture operations.
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