Fatty Acid Composition of Plankton and Bighead Carp (Aristichthys nobilis) in Freshwater Ponds |
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| Authors: | Ganlin Guo Shuanglin Dong Wen Zhao Wei Chen |
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| Institution: | 1. The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.;2. Key Lab of Hydrobiology in Liaoning Province's University, Dalian Fisheries University, Dalian, China. |
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| Abstract: | The community structure and fatty acid composition of plankton in broodstock ponds were studied at the Bishui Fisheries Company in the Liaoning Province, northeast China, between May and December 2002 and in March 2003. The Fatty acid analysis of bighead carp larvae and plankton in the fry pond occurred during June, July, and September 2002. The fatty acid composition of the plankton varied with seasonal changes in the community structure. When blue‐green algae dominated the broodstock ponds in spring and summer, the percentage of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (especially 16:0) was high. When diatoms and cryptophytes dominated in autumn and winter, the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (mainly n–3 PUFA) was high. Similarly, a high content of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) occurred in autumn and winter when DHA‐rich copepods became an important group of zooplankton. In addition, environmental factors, especially water temperature, influenced the fatty acid composition of plankton. 16:0, DHA, and 18:1n–9 were dominant fatty acids of bighead carp larvae during ontogeny. 16:0, C18 unsaturated fatty acids, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were major fatty acids of plankton in the fry pond. Analysis of the relationship between the fatty acids of the larvae and those of plankton showed that the fatty acid profiles of the larvae did not always agree with those of plankton. |
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| Keywords: | Fatty Acid Plankton Bighead Carp Larvae Freshwater Ponds |
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