LIPIDS OF FISH PARASITES AND THEIR HOSTS - FATTY-ACID FINGERPRINTS OF4 SPECIES OF ACANTHOCEPHALANS AND OF THEIR HOSTS INTESTINAL TISSUES

The fatty acid fingerprints of total lipid extracts from the four fish parasites Acanthocephalus lucii, Neoechinorhynchus rutili, Paratenuis entis ambiguus, and Pomphorhynchus laevis were investigated by capilla ry gas-liquid chromatography (GLC). The fatty acid patterns of the par asites were compared with those of their respective host tissue, viz., intestinal tract tissue of infected perch, brown trout, eel, and chub . The highly complex gas chromatograms revealed significant difference s not only between parasite and host tissue but also between the paras ites themselves. For instance, all the parasites contained much more e icosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) than did the respective fish intestinal tissue. Differences were also observed between the presoma and metaso ma of Pomphorhynchus laevis.