Triacylglycerol Content as a Condition Index for Fish, Bivalve, and Crustacean Larvae

Abstract

The lipid biochemistry of environmentally stressed larval fish, bivalves and crustaceans is presented to illustrate the utility of a larval condition index based on lipid composition. Larvae under environmental stress are often unable to obtain sufficient energy from exogenous sources and, as a result, endogenous energy reserves are catabolised to maintain basal metabolism. The storage lipid triacylglycerol (TAG) is of particular importance in this respect, TAG content consequently correlating with the physiological condition of a larva. However, absolute TAG content cannot be directly correlated with larval condition because of its dependency on larval size. It is proposed that TAG content can be correlated with larval condition when expressed in the form of a TAG-sterol ratio that accounts for the size dependency of TAG content. This proposition is supported by data that illustrate a highly positive correlation between sterol content and dry weight for larval herring and larval American lobster. Examples of TAG-sterol ratios are calculated from a survey of studies relating to the lipid class composition of nutritionally and pollutant stressed larvae of some marine fish and crustaceans.