Lipid and fatty acids of three edible myctophids, Diaphus watasei, Diaphus suborbitalis, and Benthosema pterotum: high levels of icosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids.

The fatty acid compositions of the total lipids of three edible deep-sea fishes, Diaphus watasei, Diaphus suborbitalis, and Benthosema pterotum, were compared with those of a highly migratory fish, Katsuwonus pelamis, to clarify their lipid characteristics and nutritional value as seafood. The mean lipid contents in the three myctophids were markedly higher than was that of K. pelamis. All three myctophids had medium levels of 20:5n-3 (icosapentaenoic acid, EPA) and 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) in their lipids, similar to those in surface pelagic fishes. The actual EPA and DHA amounts of the three myctophid fishes were higher than were those of K. pelamis. Therefore, the nutritional values of the myctophids as source for EPA and DHA are better than that of K. pelamis, and this finding may introduce a new resource of healthy marine food from these under-utilized deep-sea fish species.