trans-6-Hexadecenoic acid in the spadefish Chaetodipterus faber

Fatty acid methyl esters were prepared from spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) liver oil and were analyzed by open tublar gas chromatography. The unusual fatty acid trans-6-hexadecenoic acid was identified as a major monoenoic component by reductive ozonolysis and by mass spectrometry of the di-trimethylsilyl ether. Very minor amounts of 7-methyl-7-hexadecenoic acid were found.