Fatty acid composition of unfertilized and fertilized eggs of the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata.

Fatty acid compositions of polar lipids and triacylglycerols isolated from eggs of the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata, were examined before and 15 min after insemination. The main fatty acids present in polar lipids and triacylglycerols were palmitate, palmitoleate, eicosaenoate, arachidonate and eicosapentaenoate, while palmitate and palmitoleate predominated in triacylglycerols. There were no significant changes in weight percentage of individual fatty acids of either polar lipids or triglycerides of eggs after insemination.