Comparison of fatty acid profile between cultured and wild-caught grouper Epinephelus coioides

Abstract

The lipid content and fatty acid composition were examined in the liver, eye, muscle, brain and intraperitoneal fat body (IPF) of hatchery-bred and wild-caught orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. The cultured and wild grouper were classified into three different body weights (small, medium and large size), and submitted to lipid content and fatty acid analysis. Muscle lipid in cultured grouper increased lineally with growth, but that of wild fish decreased. The amount of lipid in the IPF in cultured fish was higher than wild fish. Lipid content and essential fatty acids in cultured fish showed significant change with growth. All organs in the early growth stage of cultured fish seemed to contain poor arachidonic acid (AA) than the wild fish. The liver of small sized cultured fish contained low AA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but no profound change was found in AA during growth of fish. While the proportion of DHA in the liver and IPF increased with growth in cultured fish, muscle DHA decreased with growth. The difference in fatty acid composition between cultured and wild fish disappeared with growth.