Incorporation of dietary lipids and fatty acids into red drum Sciaenops ocellatus eggs

Embryonic and early larval development and metabolism are fueled entirely by maternally derived nutritional resources (yolk and oil) before the onset of exogenous feeding. Composition of these maternally derived nutrients depends partly on maternal diet. Diet-egg relationships for fatty acids are well described for some species, but little is known about lipid transfer to eggs. To examine the effects of maternal diet on the egg composition, we fed adult red drum Sciaenops ocellatus six different diets, and measured lipid class and fatty acid composition of eggs they produced. Egg lipid class profiles remained relatively stable with only subtle differences in the concentrations of several lipid classes. Neutral lipid classes (wax ester/steryl ester (WE/SE), triglyceride (TG), sterol) varied more than polar lipid classes, with egg TG content being directly related to TG content of maternal diets. Dietary variations rapidly affected fatty acid composition of all major lipid classes in eggs (TG, WE/SE, phosphatidylcholine), with greater effects on neutral lipids than on the polar lipid. Results suggest a degree of maternal control over the provisioning of lipids as structural components (phospholipids) and energy substrates (neutral lipids), which may ensure proper development of larvae. But, egg fatty acid composition within lipid classes is more variable, and this may have consequences for larval survival and performance. This study also suggests that the pathways of maternal-offspring nutrient transfer are likely different for neutral and polar lipids.