PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF EDIBLE SEA URCHIN PARACENTROTUS LIVIDUS ROE COMMERCIALISED IN SARDINIA

Abstract- Chemical analyses on edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Echinoidea) gonads legally (L) and illegally (I) sold in Sardinia (Italy) were carried out during the fishing season 2008-2009. Statistical tests performed on moisture, ash, crude protein, lipid and carbohydrate content detected significant differences between L and I samples, but also among roe illicitly commercialised (I) by ambulant vendors in different Sardinian coastal districts. Key-words: chemical composition, roe fisheries, Paracentrotus lividus, Mediterranean Sea. Introduction- The purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) is an Echinoid of commercial importance with a high market demand for its roe. In Sardinia, the harvesting of this species is intensively practised (Pais et al., 2007) and, with the exception of a few authorised dealers, it is illicitly sold without veterinary inspection. Since a recent study has demonstrated significant differences in the microbial conten