Lipids and fatty acids of air breathing fish Boleophthalmus boddaerti

The air breathing fish Boleophthalmus boddaerti has been studied for its lipids and fatty acids of body flesh. The nonpolar lipids identified were wax esters, steryl esters, l-O-alkyl-2,3-diacylglycerol, triacylglycerols and sterols. Phospholipid was predominant (51%), the major component being phosphatidylcholine (67%). Polyenoic fatty acids of the ω3 series, i.e. EPA and DHA, were at considerably high concentrations in the phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine fractions. Cholesterol was the major component (35%) of the different sterols found. In neutral glyceryl ethers, fatty acids up to 28 carbons were recorded with unsaturated, anteiso, iso and normal chains. In wax esters, up to 32 carbon chains were recorded. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd