Fatty acid metabolism in young oysters,Crassostrea gigas: Polyunsaturated fatty acids

Tetraselmis suecica and Dunaliella tertiolecta were grown for 24 hr in the presence of 14 C sodium bicarbonate and then fed separately to batches of juvenile oysters, Crassostrea gigas , for 3 days. D. tertiolecta contained fatty acids no longer than C 18 ; 22∶6ω3 was absent in T. suecica . Analysis of the oyster fatty acids by radio gas chromatography (GC) showed that oysters were able to incorporate some of the dietary 14 C label into long‐chain fatty acids not supplied in the diet, e.g., C 20 and C 22 mono‐ and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and particularly 20∶5ω3. However, the low 14 C incorporation into fatty acids longer or more unsaturated than those supplied in the diet suggests that elongation and desaturation activity in young oysters is not sufficient to sustain optimum growth.