Bone lipids of marine fishes.

Assessment of candidates for investigation of bone lipid metabolism yielded the following findings. (1) A tropical marine butterflyfish, Chaetodon ornatissimus, had oil-filled bones (66-80% lipid, percent dry weight) hence may be a suitable condidate. (2) The tropical marine fishes Exallias brevis, Pomacentrus jenkensi, and Chromus agilis, and a Canadian fish Sebastes ruberrimus, had intermediate quantities of oil in their bones (12-49% lipid). (3) In all the foregoing species the major bone lipid was triglyceride, usually more abundant in skull than spine. Sterol and phospholipid were also present. (4) The major fatty acids of the triglycerides (and phospholipids) were 16:0, 18:0, 18:1, and C20, C22 acids. Those acids were dominated by 20:4, 20:5, 22:5, and 22:6. (5) There was more total unsaturation in the bone lipids of S. ruberrimus (from 10 degrees C water; 67-72% unsaturation) compared to the tropical fish (from 25 degrees C water; 32-67% unsaturation) with the exception of E. brevis. (6) One of the tropical species (Arothron meleagris) and a Canadian Chimaeran (Hydrolagus colliei) contained only 1-3% lipid in their bones.