Effect of Fatty Acid Composition of Broodstock Diet on Tissue Fatty Acid Patterns and Egg Fertilization and Hatching in Pond-Reared Penaeus monodon

The effect of dietary fatty acid composition on tissue fatty acid patterns and spawn quality of pond-raised Penaeus monodon was evaluated with the use of three practical diets. Diets were formulated to contain the same basal components but with various lipid supplementation: Diet B1, 6% cod liver oil; Diet B2, 3% cod liver oil and 3% soybean lecithin; and Diet Ba, 691, soybean lecithin. Three flow-through maturation tanks were each stocked with 60 broodstock at a . sex ratio of 1.5 female to 1 male, with the females ablated on one eyestalk. Broodstock performance measured as total number and nature of spawnings, egg fertility and average hatching rate of eggs of each dietary treatment was assessed. Results showed that the fatty acid composition of broodstock diet affected the tissue fatty acid patterns and hatchability of eggs from pond-reared P. monodon. Females fed a diet high in 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and n-3/n-6 fatty acid ratio gave higher percentages of fertilized eggs and higher hatching rates than did other diets.