COMPARISON OF LIPID AND FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION IN VENDACE (COREGONUS-ALBULA L) AND AVAILABLE PLANKTON FEED

1. The food of vendace in Lake Pyhajarvi (SW Finland) consisted mainly of cladocerans and copepods throughout the sampling period from May to October. 2. The content of triacylglycerols and polar lipids of vendace flesh, varied seasonally, in accordance with the total lipids. Triacylglycerols dominated in vendace flesh, while these and polar lipids occurred in nearly equal proportions in composite plankton. In vendace gut, the share of polar lipids decreased markedly. 3. Plankton and vendace flesh total lipids were composed of the same fatty acids. Their relative amounts varied, especially in polyenoic acids and in the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 polyenoics. 4. The fatty acid composition of fish flesh lipids remained fairly similar throughout the whole sampling period with a slight seasonal variation of some fatty acids occurring in plankton total lipids.