Fatty acid profile of pebbly fish, Alestes baremoze (Joannis, 1835) from Lake Albert, Uganda: Implications for its feed requirements

• Published in: Uganda journal of agricultural sciences Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 73 - 83
• Main Authors: Kasozi, Nasser, Iwe Degu, Gerald, Walakira, John, Namulawa Tibenda, Victoria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.2021
• DOI: 10.4314/ujas.v20i1.5
• ISSN: 1026-0919

The objective of this study was to establish the fatty acid profile of Alestes baremoze, with a view of establishing its dietary fatty acid requirements. Fish samples from Lake Albert were categorized into four classes according to fork lengths (1–10 cm, 11–20 cm, 21–30 cm, and 31–40 cm), with each class comprising of six fish. In addition, eggs were collected from six sexually mature females. A total of 35 fatty acids were identified and categorized into saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated acids (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). SFAs accounted for 5.07% to 37.05%, MUFAs and PUFAs constituted 20.65% to 53.78%, and 10.34% to 66.10% respectively, of total fatty acids in all studied fish size classes. The results from this study indicated that fatty acid composition in A. baremoze varied significantly with size classes. The findings may provide guidance on the fatty acid inclusions for diets formulated for this fish under culture conditions.