The effect of enrichment diets on the fatty acid composition of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis

Cultures of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis (200 ind./ml, 0.5 μg dry weight/ind.) pre-fed on yeast and capelin oil (10:1 w/w) were given different enriched diets and harvested after 24 h. The fatty acid composition of the rotifers was affected by that of the feed. The highest level of n−3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) 38%) and 22:6 n−3 (19%) was obtained after enrichment of the rotifers fed with squid meal. A positive relation was found between the n−3 HUFA in the enrichment diet and that of the rotifers (P < 0.05, t-test). The cultivation feed of the rotifers may nevertheless be more important for the n−3 HUFA level than the enrichment feed. Starvation for 49 h did not change the fatty acid composition of the rotifers.