Ophryotrocha craigsmithi (Wiklund, Glower & Dahlgren, 2009) has a high capacity to modify lipids from aquaculture waste and synthesize long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In Norway, Ophryotrocha craigsmithi is being evaluated as an extractive species in integrated multitrophic aquaculture systems (IMTA) and have been suggested as a suitable novel feed ingredient in aquatic feeds due to their high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). It has been hypothesized that O. craigsmithi is capable of trophic up-grading, and that bacterial mats play a crucial role in this species diet, enhancing growth rates and defining FA profiles. We studied the FA uptake and metabolism in O. craigsmithi reared on diets consisting of commercial fish pellets, bacterial incubated fish pellets or sludge collected in situ. We aimed to confirm if O. craigsmithi perform trophic up-grading, and to elucidate the role of white bacterial mats for this species. FA profiles of diets and polychaetes were determined by GC-FID analyses and lipid classes were separated by HPLC. Results indicate that O. craigsmithi performs trophic-upgrading, and particularly produces high amounts of 20:4n-6 and 20:5n-3. We suggest that O. craigsmithi applies the Δ12 (methyl-end) enzyme to produce 18:2n-6 de novo and further use this precursor to produce 20:4n-6 before the enzyme Δ17 (methyl-end) is used for the final desaturation to 20:5n-3. Analysis of the phospholipids of polychaetes showed that FA profiles remained stable independent of diet, illustrating a high priority of cell membrane functionality. Bacterial FAs were mainly used as energy, although c18:1n-7 were selectively incorporated into cell membranes in polychaetes. Our results highlight this species’ value in converting farm waste to high quality marine long-chain PUFA in IMTA systems.
Source: Aquaculture
Language: English
Subfield: Aquatic Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,910
OpenAlex ID: W4410726841