Open AccessFood Value of Indigenous Zooplankton from the South China Sea on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia
Author(s) -
Lokman Shamsudin
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of the world aquaculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0893-8849
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1994.tb00183.x
Subject(s) - zooplankton , biology , dry weight , polyunsaturated fatty acid , linoleic acid , monsoon , fishery , fatty acid , zoology , oceanography , botany , biochemistry , geology
Zooplankton samples were collected from the shallow waters of the South China Sea, situated in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia during the dry monsoon (May to August 1990) and the wet monsoon (September and October 1990). Copepods comprised more than 65% of the total zooplankton with Paracalanus (especially P. parvus, P. aculeatus and P. nanus ) being the dominant species. The zooplankton lipid content ranged from 0.18 to 1.09% wet weight (1.04 to 4.99% dry weight) with higher values during the dry monsoon. The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents showed high concentrations of eicosapentanoic acid (20:5ω3) and docosahexanoic acid (22:6ω3) with moderate amounts of linoleic acid (18:2ω6). Total polyethylenic acid contents were higher than monoethylenic acids whereas the C18 PUFA components were minor constituents. As ratios of ω3 to ω6 PUFA were high, the zooplankton are regarded as desirable food for the rearing of larval fish.