LIVER LIPIDS AND FATTY-ACIDS OF THE STING RAY DASYATIS-BLEEKERI (BLYTH)

The sting ray, Dasyatis bleekeri (Blyth), has been studied for lipids and fatty acids of its liver. The neutral lipids identified were hydro carbons, wax esters, steryl esters, 1-O-alkyl-2,3-diacylglycerols, tri acylglycerols, and sterols. Neutral lipids were predominant (91.8%), m ajor components being triacylglycerols (92.7%). Polyenoic fatty acids of n-3 series, viz. eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, we re high in the phospholipid and neutral lipid fractions. Cholesterol w as the major component (67.9%) in the steryl ester fraction. Glyceryl ethers, with chainlengths up to 30 carbons, were recorded with unsatur ated, anteiso, iso, and normal chains. In wax eater alcohols, up to 32 -carbon chains were recorded. Hydrocarbons were up to 36-carbon chains with anteiso, iso, and normal chains. Among branched chain hydrocarbo ns, pristane was the major component (6.7%) and squalene was present a t the level of 3.5%. Chimyl and batyl alcohol backbones were the major components found in 1-O-alkyl-diacylglycerols.