The Fatty Acid Profile of the Marine Cephalopod Loligo vulgaris

Abstract

Squids and their by-products are widely used as pre-spawning feeds in marine fish hatcheries. Therefore, we studied the fatty acid composition of mantle tissue, arms, fins, and gonads of the marine cephalopod, Loligo vulgaris, from a broodstock nutrition point of view. Docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids represented nearly half (>45%) of the total fatty acids, with DHA the most abundant fatty acid in all investigated tissues. The fatty acid profile of the gonads differed significantly from those of the mantle, arms, and fins; EPA was present in a sig- nificantly higher proportion (20%), perhaps indicating its important role in reproduction. Results indicate that Loligo vulgaris and its by-products can be an important nutritional component of broodstock feeds, serving as a major source of DHA and EPA.