Phospholipids of the Rotifer, Prawn, and Larval Fish

Abstract

In order to define the nutritional role of dietary phospholipids (PL) in larval fish, the PL classes and possible fatty acid combinations of phosphatidylcholine (PC) were investigated on the food organisms such as the micro-algae and rotifers Brachionus plicatilis, post-larval prawns (P-30) Penaeus japonicus, and larval fish. PC and phosphatidylethanolamine were the major PL classes in a marine Chlorella (CH), Tetraselmis (TS), rotifers cultured with either CH or TS, red sea bream (40-days old) Chrysophrys major, knife jaw (30 days-old) Oplegnathus fasciatus, Ayu (74-days old) Plecoglossus altivelis, and prawn. The major PC in the larval fish and prawn were those having fatty acid combinations of C16C20(mainly C16,0C20:5ω3), C16C22(mainly C16:0C22:6ω3), and Cl8C22(mainly C18:0C22:6ω3and/or C18:1ω9C22:6ω3). Because larval fish are incapable of de novo synthesis of ω3- and ω6-series of fatty acids and also possibly have a limited ability for the synthesis of some PC, a part of these PC occurring in the larval fish may be derived from food organisms such as the rotifers which contained PC with fatty acid combinations of C16C20(mainly C16:0C20:5ω2). © 1987, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.