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Plasma non‐esterified fatty acid profiles in wild Atlantic salmon during their freshwater migration and spawning
Author(s) -
Booth R. K.,
McKinley R. S.,
Ballantyne J. S.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1999.tb00677.x
Subject(s) - nefa , biology , gonadosomatic index , palmitoleic acid , spawn (biology) , fatty acid , oleic acid , zoology , eicosapentaenoic acid , palmitic acid , smoltification , endocrinology , medicine , polyunsaturated fatty acid , fishery , salmonidae , population , fish <actinopterygii> , biochemistry , fecundity , demography , sociology , salmo
Total plasma non‐esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels increased significantly in adult Atlantic salmon during the first months of their upstream migration and spawning in the Exploits River, Newfoundland, Canada. The highest levels occurred in May and were 5467±270·43 nmol ml −1 for females and 4617±334·70 nmol ml −1 for males. Significantly higher levels were maintained by females compared with males for most of the upstream migration. Between August and October, total plasma NEFA levels declined by 61% in females but only 23% in males. The decline in plasma monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid levels accounted for 74% of the loss of NEFAs in females. Specific plasma NEFAs such as 16: 0 (palmitic), 16: 1 (palmitoleic), 18: 1n9 (oleic) and 20: 5n3 (eicosapentaenoic acid) differed significantly between males and females during migration and spawning. The mean gonadosomatic index ( I G ) values of females in May and just prior to spawning were 0·37±0·01 and 10·25±0·32, respectively. The rapid decline in the plasma NEFA content of females coincided with the largest increase in their I G (1·85±0·02–10·25±0·32). Corresponding I G values for males were 0·34±0·01 in May and 3·33±0·78 prior to spawning. Plasma NEFA levels of spent salmon did not differ between sexes and were significantly lower than those of salmon preparing to spawn.