Fanned European eels are fed a diet catering to fast growth in rearing conditions and the diet contains low levels of arachidonic acid (ARA) and high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (Stottrup et al. 2013). Dietary ARA in sufficient quantities isknown to be important for securing hatching success and larval survival in several marine fish species. At the same time, relative content of EPA to ARA should be low and in fact much lower than levels found in traditional eel diets (Stottrup et al. 2013). This study aimed at improving dietary intake of fatty acids in farmed eel to prepare them as candidates for breeding. This was partly done based on literature fatty acid requirements and partly through a comparison of wild and farmed eel gonadal fatty acid content. The duration of feeding required, to incorporate dietary fatty acids in eel gonadal tissue, was examined, as well as the dietary influence on embryonic development competence in the form of number of females producing viable embryos.
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