The Distribution of Neutral Lipids in Shark Tissues

Abstract

Neutral lipid classes were analysed in the livers, muscles and sera of Deania, Centroscymnus, Squalus and Prionace . All three squaloid sharks contained triglycerides and alkyldiacylglycerols and the two deep sea squaloids contained additionally hydrocarbons. Prionace contained triglycerides and hydrocarbons but no alkyldiacylglycerols. For a given species the class compositions of the lipids were similar in liver, muscle and serum, except that serum contained additionally cholesteryl esters and wax esters. Cholesteryl esters in Squalus serum were rich in oleic acid whereas wax esters were very rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Squalus serum contained a major and a minor lipoprotein species both of which transport all four neutral lipids in serum. It is concluded that, with the exception of cholesteryl and wax esters in serum, neutral lipids are distributed between shark tissues by a mechanism that is relatively non-specific with respect to lipid class.