Egg yolk nutritional constituents as indicators of egg quality in A tlantic halibut ( H ippoglossus hippoglossus L.)

Variation in oocyte quality affects sustainability of finfish aquaculture products including Atlantic halibut ( H ippoglossus hippoglossus L.). To have an insight into role of major egg yolk constituents in the oocyte quality, egg fatty acid ( FA ), amino acid ( AA ) and folate contents were related to normal blastomere symmetry, and fertilization and hatching success. Significant correlations were found between dihomo‐γ‐linolenic acid ( DGLA , 20:3n6), palmitic acid ( PA , 16:00) and docosapentaenoic acid ( DPA , 22:5n3), and normal blastomere symmetry and survival success. Egg concentrations of myristic acid ( MA , 14:0), oleic acid ( OA , 18:1n9), stearidonic acid ( SA , 18:4n3) and eicosadienoic acid ( EDA , 20:2n6) explained 56 % variation in fertilization success. OA and EDA explained 70 % of variation in blastomere symmetry. Palmitoleic acid ( POA , 16:1n7) and linolenic acid ( LNA , 18:3n3) concentrations explained 57% of variation in hatching success. Egg valine concentrations correlated with fertilization rates, and aspartic acid and leucine correlated with normal blastomere symmetry. Alanine and valine concentrations explained together 45% of variation in fertilization. Glutamic acid and tyrosine concentrations explained 68% of variation in normal blastomere symmetry while serine, arginine and valine explained 36% of variation in hatching. These FA s and AA a may be potential indicators of oocyte quality in Atlantic halibut.