Proximate composition and fatty acid profile of wild and cultured juvenile Totoaba macdonaldi

Abstract

The proximate composition and fatty acid profile were determined in musclel tissue and viscera of wild and cultured Totoaba macdonaldi juveniles. Significant differences were found according to diet variations. The fatty acid 20:4n-6 and the n-3/n-6 ratio were significantly higher in wild totoaba than in the cultured organisms. In addition, the level of 18:2n-6 in muscle tissue and viscera of cultured totoaba was significantly higher than that found in the wild organisms, and even higher than the level found in the balanced diet, suggesting a possible accumulation of this fatty acid probably due to the inability to desaturate and longate C 18 PUFAs to C 20/122 HUFAs. The natural diet of totoaba seems to be rich in n-3 and n-6 HUFAs. The possible nutritional needs of cultured totoaba to obtain a chemical profile similar to that observed in wild organisms are discussed.