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Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were fortified at a level of 1.5% in a composed diet. The effects were confirmed in 0-year black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegeli in terms of lipid metabolism and physiological activity. The EPA group was high in EPA in muscle, liver, intraperitoneal fat body (IPF), eye and brain. The levels of DHA in liver, eye, brain and heart were also high in the EPA group, suggesting that conversion of EPA to DHA occurred in those organs. Fortification of DHA increased the levels of DHA in organs except the eye, but did not affect EPA levels. Both the EPA and DHA groups showed smaller adipocytes or lower levels of lipid content than the control group. The starvation followed by feeding experiment caused marked body weight loss in the control group by consumption of muscle protein and lipids in IPF. Fortifications of EPA and DHA induced less mobilization of muscle protein and IPF lipids as energy. Liver function and resistance to air-dipping were improved by both EPA and DHA fortifications. The present results implied conversion of EPA to DHA in the fish with regard to parameters, such as lipid metabolism and physiological vitality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]