| Summary: | The present study evaluated the effect of starvation and of feeding various algal and lipid-supplemented diets on the lipid content and lipid class distribution in the polar and neutral lipids of early juvenile oysters ( Crassostrea gigas and clams ( Tapes philippinarum ). T. philippinarum was starved, fed a mixed algal diet ( Tetraselmis suecica and Isochrysis galbana (clone T-iso) or solely T. suecica at three different feeding rations, either supplemented or not supplemented with lipid emulsions. C. gigas was fed T. suecica with and without the supplementation of lipid emulsions or liposomes. When T. philippinarum and C. gigas were fed solely T. suecica , no qualitative and only minor quantitative differences were observed between the lipid class profile of both species. The major neutral lipids were triglycerides (TAG) and free serols plus diglycerides (FS + DAG), whereas the polar lipids were dominated by phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylinositol plus ceramideaminoethanol phosphonate (PI + CAEP). An increase of the algal feeding ration resulted in an increase of the lipid content of spat which was associated with a significant augmentation of the TAG level (as percentage of the total lipids and as percentage of the neutral lipids). Lipid supplementation evoked a similar though more pronounced effect. Starvation resulted in a significant decline of the lipid content and a complete depletion of the TAG reserve. Contrary to the neutral lipids (NL), the relative proportion (percentage of total polar lipids, PL) of the individual PL classes was hardly affected by the diet. The importance of lipid and TAG reserves in early juveniles is discussed.
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