Incorporation of Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid into the Central Nervous System of the Yellowtail <i>Seriola quinqueradiata</i>

Abstract

In order to show the involvement of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the development of the central nervous system (CNS) in carangid fish, we conducted tracer experiments by feeding radioactive DHA to larval yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata). Artemia nauplii were enriched with ¹⁴C-labeled DHA and fed to larval yellowtail for eight or ten days. Autoradiography of frozen sections, using both electric imaging plates and X-ray sensitive film, clearly showed that DHA was incorporated into and retained in the brain, spinal cord, and eyes. The brain, eyes, gill raker, liver, guts, and other muscle and bone structures were dissected, and radioactivity was measured in each organ by liquid scintillation counter. The results of this study suggest the incorporation of DHA into the brain. Considering our previous results indicating that DHA-free fish cannot form schools, we conclude that the incorporation of DHA into the brain might be a critical factor in the ontogeny of schooling behavior.

Linking fatty acids in the diet and tissues to quality of larval southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma)

“…The positive correlation between DHA in the body and turning rate could be due DHA concentrations in the spinal cord and an effect of DHA on neural control of movement within the brain and spinal cord, in agreement with previous studies (Masuda et al, 1999;Benítez-Santana et al, 2014). DHA concentrations in the whole body tissue of gilthead sea bream larvae increased burst swimming speed by increasing activity of the neurons that initiate burst swimming (Benítez-Santana et al, 2014).…”

“…Visual skills required for schooling were tested and determined to be functional and therefore impairment of schooling was not due to effects of DHA on vision (Masuda et al, 1999). Instead, impairment was attributed to an effect of DHA on neural control of movement because, aside from the eyes, DHA was most concentrated in the brain and spinal cord (Masuda et al, 1999).…”

Producción de larvas de peces: Innovación y avances en la nutrición para contribuir al mejoramiento y escalamiento de los cultivos

“…Nevertheless, EFA contents in larvae fed rotifers enriched with vegetable oils was lower, in agreement with the different behaviour found in this larvae. For instance, a reduction in burst swimming speed after a visual stimulus was obtained in larvae fed vegetable oils enriched rotifers in comparison with fish oil, in agreement with the visual incapacity found in yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata) fed DHA-deficient diets (Masuda et al, 1999).…”

Food chain effects of nutrient limitation in primary producers

“…In comparison with Daphnia, the copepods in the study of Müller-Navarra (2006) contained similar concentrations of EPA, but much higher concentrations of DHA. In the growth of larval fish, DHA plays a more important role than EPA (Wu et al 2002;Bell et al 2003), particularly for the development of the brain (Mourente and Tocher 1992;Masuda et al 1999). Thus, it is likely that the addition of the DHA in our experiment was responsible for the better condition of the larval fish, rather than the addition of the EPA.…”