Effects of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids on growth, survival and brain development of larval Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

An investigation is reported on the effects of arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the growth and survival of larval Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). The effects of dietary EPA acid DHA on brain development in larvae were also investigated. Fifteen-day-old larvae were fed Artemia nauplii enriched with these fatty acids for 25 days. Larvae fed with Artemia enriched with oleic acid had low survival and poor growth. The survival and growth of larvae were improved by the addition of AA, EPA or DHA to their diet. However, AA was inferior to EPA and to DHA as an essential fatty acid (EFA), The relative volume of the cerebellum (volume of the cerebellum/total volume of the brain) of larvae fed EFA-deficient Artemia was significantly lower than that of larvae fed nauplii enriched with EPA or DHA, Other parts of the brain such as the telencephalon and the diencephalon revealed no significant difference among treatments. Thus, not only survival and growth, but also development of the brain, and of the cerebellum in particular, in larval Japanese flounder, was influenced by dietary EPA and DHA. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.