From egg to hatchling: preferential retention of fatty acid biomarkers in young‐of‐the‐year Port Jackson sharks Heterodontus portusjacksoni

The muscle and liver fatty acid composition of young‐of‐the‐year ( YOY ) Port Jackson sharks Heterodontus portusjacksoni were investigated to determine the effects of a known dietary lipid source v . maternal input as demonstrated by egg yolk fatty acid profiles. Ten Heterodontus portusjacksoni egg yolks were collected in situ and compared with four hatched H. portusjacksoni fed a known diet in a controlled feeding experiment of 185 days. This study demonstrated that fatty acids are probably conservatively transferred from egg yolks to YOY H. portusjacksoni , while diet did not have a large effect on the fatty acid composition of the liver or muscle.