Preliminary Study of Lipid Content and Fatty Acid Composition in the Spottail Pinfish, Diplodus holbrooki

Abstract

Seasonal, gender, and ontogenetic differences in mean percent lipids and fatty acid profiles of muscle tissue in 48 adult and six juvenile spottail pinfish were investigated. Mean percent lipid for adults and juveniles were 2.23 and 2.00, respectively, comparable to other marine fish. The highest monthly mean percent lipid in adults, 3.76, was found in September, whereas the lowest, 1.69, was found in April. A higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids was found in all fish except September fish, which were highest in saturated fatty acids. Mean percent lipid was higher in mature females compared to males in March but not in April, possibly associated with spawning. In contrast to adults, except for September fish, juveniles had lower arachidonic and higher eicosapentaenoic fatty acid percentages, resulting in a lower n-6:n-3 ratio.