To determine the effects of linolenic acid (LNA, in oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense), an 8-week feeding experiment was conducted using six isonitrogenous and isoenergetic semi-purified diets containing 0.07 g/kg (control), 7.3 g/kg, 16.6 g/kg, 20.2 g/kg, 27.3 g/kg and 36.3 g/kg LNA. The hepatopancreas lipid content decreased significantly when dietary LNA content was >20.2 g/kg. Fatty acid analysis revealed that the percentage of 18:3n-3 in the hepatopancreas significantly increased with increasing dietary LNA levels, while 20:5n-3, 22:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 levels in the hepatopancreas decreased in a curvilinear manner as dietary LNA increased. Additionally, qRT-PCR results revealed that hepatopancreas mRNA expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) decreased with increasing dietary LNA, while the greatest carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1(CPT1) mRNA expression was observed in the 2.73 g/kg and 36.3 g/kg groups. Furthermore, hepatopancreas mRNA expression of acyl-CoA delta-9 desaturase (SCD) and fatty acyl elongase 6(elovl6) was downregulated when prawns fed the diets containing >20.2 g/kg LNA. These results indicate that dietary 18:3n-3 could decrease lipid deposition through increased fatty acid β-oxidation and modulated fatty acid synthesis, and alter fatty acid composition by regulating fatty acyl elongase and fatty acyl desaturase mRNA expression in the M. nipponense. K E Y W O R D S fatty acid composition, linolenic acid, lipid deposition, Macrobrachium nipponense, mRNA expression