FATTY ACID COMPOSITION AND THEIR CHANGES DURING EARLY LIFE STAGE OF SILVER CARP HYPOPHTHALMICHTHYS MOLITRIX

The fatty acid composition and their changes in the fertilized eggs and larvae of silver carp were analyzed by means of gas chromatography(GC). There are 19 fatty acids in the fertilized eggs of silver carp. The proportion of SFA, MUFA and PUFA was almost one third for each group, with SFA being the highest and MUFA being the lowest. 16C∶0 accounts the main part in SFA, 18C∶1 in MUFA, and DHA, AA and EPA in PUFA. The n 3/n 6 ratio in the lipid of the fertilized eggs of silver carp was 2.13. In the newly hatched larvae, many kinds of PUFA were lost accompanying the lost of egg membrane during hatch and DHA was not detected. The larvae of silver carp have the ability of conversion 18C PUFA precursor to HUFA. During early development stage, the larvae of silver carp mainly mobilize 16C∶0 as energy substrates.