Relation between lipid and fatty acid composition of eggs and larval survival in white pacific shrimp (Penaeus vannamei, Boone, 1931)

In this study, lipid classes and fatty acid composition were determined in eggs of P. vannamei as a function of survival to zoea III stage. Spawns were reared individually to zoea III and grouped, according to their final survival to this larval stage, into spawns of high and low survival. Eggs of individual spawns were analyzed for lipid and fatty acid composition of neutral and polar lipids and the results were then grouped according to survival to zoea III. The lipids within each group (high and low survival to zoea III) were pooled for the separation of phospholipids and the analysis of their fatty acid composition. Higher levels of triglycerides, carotenoids, and linoleic (18: 2n-6) acid in eggs were associated with improved survival to zoea III. Linoleic acid was higher in spawns from the high survival group in both neutral and polar fractions and in most of the phospholipid classes analyzed. Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) was not related to survival to zoea, probably because its content was high enough (> 15% of total fatty acids) to satisfy embryo and early larval development needs. A high content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was found in phosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylinositol compared to other phospholipid classes, suggesting a specific role of EPA in these lipids. These results describe the specific phospholipid composition of penaeid eggs and could (potentially) be used as predictive indicators of larval quality for research and production purposes.