Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #423717
Research Project: Establishing Seedstocks for the U.S. Marine Finfish Industry

Location: Subtropical Plant Pathology Research

Title: Timeline of fatty acid incorporation from diet to egg in California yellowtail Seriola dorsalis

Author
item CHIN, LI SUN - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
item BRADSHAW, DAVID - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
item WILLS, PAUL - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
item STUART, KEVIN - Hubbs-Sea World
item DRAWBRIDGE, MARK - Hubbs-Sea World
item MEJRI, SAHAR - Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute

Submitted to: Aquaculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/6/2024
Publication Date: 8/8/2024
Citation: Chin, L., Bradshaw, D.I., Wills, P.S., Stuart, K., Drawbridge, M., Mejri, S. Timeline of fatty acid incorporation from diet to egg in California yellowtail Seriola dorsalis. Aquaculture. 594:741465. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.741465.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2024.741465

Interpretive Summary: Early development of fish relies on lipids for essential tissue growth and egg quality. This study explored how quickly fatty acids from parent fish diets (broodstock) transfer to their eggs. In California yellowtail, fatty acids were incorporated within just 10 to 19 days, offering insights for better feeding plans and sustainable diet choices in aquaculture.

Technical Abstract: Lipids play a vital role in fueling early developmental activities in fish, especially in building essential tissues, crucial for good growth and egg quality. Although existing broodstock research has ascertained that eggs are heavily influenced by broodstock diet, there is currently no information regarding the timeline of nutrient incorporation. The objective of this study is to determine the duration required for broodstock to transfer fatty acids from their diet to their eggs. In 2021, nine California yellowtail, Seriola dorsalis, broodstock were fed alternating diets of commercial pellets (Vitalis) and cut-bait diet of fish and the diets were switched every 6 weeks, and the experiment was replicated twice. Biochemical and biometric data from spawns were collected and statistically analyzed by grouping spawns based on diet type and the number of days following the diet switch. Neutral lipid fatty acid fractions of the eggs were found to have incorporated higher amounts of LNA (linolenic acid) and LA (linoleic acid) from Vitalis diet, which are essential fatty acid precursors, but higher amounts of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid, from the cutbait diet. Most importantly, our results showed that fatty acids from both diets were overall fully incorporated by both polar and neutral fraction of the eggs within just 10 to 19 days following the diet switch. This understanding of nutritional incorporation from broodstock diet to eggs will help producers develop more informed feeding plans when testing new feeds or supplementation. These findings can also encourage farmers to explore the use of cutbait to more sustainable pelleted diets as well as open new doors for future broodstock nutrition research.