The influence of diets complete in or free from either phospholipid (soybean lecithin) or n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFA, squid liver oil) on the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and tissue lipid composition of ablated female Penaeus japonicus (mean weight=20.2±0.9g) were determined. Bilateral eyestalk ablation was performed 31-37 days after feeding on experimental diets and GSI was examined after 20 days of each prawn's ablation.
Supplementation of both phospholipid and n-3 HUFA resulted in the highest GSI (3.0±0.8, P<0.05). The absence of either phospholipid or n-3 HUFA significantly retarded GSI development (1.3±0.6 and 1.4±0.5, respectively). The complete diet produced higher total lipid in ovaries, hepatopancreas, and muscle than the incomplete diets. Regardless of diets, ovaries and muscle had greater polar lipid deposits, in contrast to the hepatopancreas wherein neutral lipid was dominant. Triglycerides and phosphatidylcholine were the dominant lipids in the ovaries.