Accumulation of docosapolyenoic fatty acids in developing oocytes of the winged pearl oyster Pteria sterna Martha Hawkyns-Martínez a , Pedro E. Saucedo b , Laura Carreón-Palau b , Eliana Gómez-Robles b , Héctor Acosta-Salmón b, ⁎ a Programa de Acuicultura y Ecología Acuática Tropical, Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta, Colombia b Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico abstract article info Article history: Received 12 February 2014 Received in revised form 9 April 2014 Accepted 24 April 2014 Available online 2 May 2014 Keywords: Fatty acids Gametogenesis Gonad quality Pearl oysters Pteria sterna Ensuring supplies of pearl oyster spat for commercial grafting operations in Mexico is an ongoing problem. This has refocused research toward improving hatchery propagation protocols. Since gender plays an important role in the physiology of bivalves, we studied the use of fatty acids in the gonad and digestive gland of male and female winged pearl oyster (Pteria sterna) over its natural breeding season. Sampling included two peaks of ripening (February and April 2009), a pre-reproductive period (November 2008), and a post-reproductive period (June 2009). We found a significant increase in storage of docosapolyenoic fatty acids during development and ripe stages only in the female gonad, which indicates that these fatty acids could be a limiting factor for successful de- velopment of high quality eggs. The content of total monounsaturated fatty acids in male gonads, especially the fatty acid 16:1 n7, was significantly higher than in female gonads at the development and ripe stages. We also found differences between males and females in the use of some fatty acids in the digestive gland, especially at the spawned stage. Our results have future application in developing protocols for rearing of this pearl oyster in hatcheries. Incorporating dietary supplements containing docosapolyenoic fatty acids into diets of pearl oyster broodstock could be a practical way to improve their performance, which is crucial for enhancing the viability of larvae and spat. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Gender plays a role in the physiology of bivalves. The sex of each bivalve should be determined and taken into account in analyzing and interpreting results when studying, for example, the impact of environmental variables, pathogens, or pollutants (Dang et al., 2012; Duchemin et al., 2007). Additionally, differences in immune responses of bivalves have not been related only to gender, but to the stage in the reproductive cycle (Duchemin et al., 2007; Matozzo and Marin, 2010). Reproductive metabolism in bivalves demands a high input of ener- gy to maximize the quality of gametes (Barber and Blake, 2006). Lipids are essential to enhance egg quality and increase the number of hatched eggs (Fraser, 1989; Holland, 1978). Hence, lipids are reliable indicators of the quality of gametes (Gallager et al., 1986; Palacios et al., 2007). Of the lipids, poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) play a key role in main- taining the structural and functional integrity of biological membranes and serve as precursors of eicosanoids (20 C PUFA), that ensure ade- quate development of the gonads (Hendriks et al., 2003; Howard and Stanley, 1999; Iverson, 2009). However, the effect of gender has rarely been studied in relation to patterns in the use of nutrients and energy. There are two routes by which fatty acids originate in marine bi- valves: (1) transfers of nutrients from the digestive gland (ingested food) to the gonad via the hemolymph during high reproductive ac- tivity (Barber and Blake, 1985; Caers et al., 1999; Dridi et al., 2007; Vassallo, 1973) and (2) de novo synthesis (lipogenesis) mainly from car- bohydrate reserves in the adductor muscle (Gabbott, 1975; Palacios et al., 2007; Racotta et al., 1998). Biosynthesis of long-chain PUFA is greater in phytoplankton than in animals at higher trophic levels; thus, filter-feeding bivalves largely depend on the transfer of PUFA from primary producers to ensure reproductive success (Freites et al., 2010; Napolitano et al., 1997; Soudant et al., 1996). Improving egg quality at the hatchery is a difficult task and requires measuring reliable indicators of gamete quality, such as fatty acid content, to ensure the production of healthy spat. This is of most rele- vance in species with high commercial value, such as the winged pearl oyster Pteria sterna (Gould, 1851) and abalone Haliotis spp. that sustain a small pearl industry in Mexico. These species reflect a current increase in world interest in pearls from genera other than Pinctada (traditional pearl oysters) species, including clams, scallops, and gastro- pods (Strack, 2011; Torres-Martínez et al., 2012). The growth of this ac- tivity has been slow, mainly because there is an insufficient supply of Aquaculture 432 (2014) 74–79 ⁎ Corresponding author at: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Calle IPN #195, La Paz, B.C.S. 23096, Mexico. Tel.: +52 612 123 8484. E-mail address: hacostas@cibnor.mx (H. Acosta-Salmón). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.04.026 0044-8486/© 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Aquaculture journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/aqua-online