Eggs of marine organisms are increasingly being recognized as important components of marine food webs. The degree to which egg fatty acid profiles reflect maternal diet fatty acid profiles, and therefore the value of fatty acids in eggs as trophic biomarkers, depends on the species' reproductive strategy and the extent of modification of ingested fatty acids. We measured the dynamics of transfer of recently ingested fatty acids to spawned eggs in a batch-spawning teleost, red drum ( Sciaenops ocellatus ). Results of 21 diet-shift experiments, from which the fatty acid profiles of the diets and eggs were compared, showed that 15 of 27 fatty acids measured (one saturated, two monounsaturated and 12 polyunsaturated fatty acids) in eggs were correlated with their levels in the recent diet, and the rate of incorporation into eggs was proportional to the magnitude of the diet shift. Large shifts in diet might occur naturally during spawning migrations or when prey communities vary over time. Results of this study indicate that fatty acids in red drum eggs can be useful for studying adult diet and exploring trophic linkages in marine systems. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The next horizons for lipids as ‘trophic biomarkers': evidence and significance of consumer modification of dietary fatty acids'.

中文翻译：

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硬骨鱼红石首鱼（Sciaenops ocellatus）脂肪酸的饮食-卵转移动态

海洋生物的卵越来越被认为是海洋食物网的重要组成部分。鸡蛋脂肪酸谱反映母体饮食脂肪酸谱的程度，以及鸡蛋中脂肪酸作为营养生物标志物的价值，取决于物种的繁殖策略和摄入脂肪酸的修饰程度。我们测量了批量产卵硬骨鱼红石首鱼中最近摄入的脂肪酸向产卵转移的动态（眼斑石首鱼）。21 项饮食转变实验对饮食和鸡蛋的脂肪酸谱进行了比较，结果表明，鸡蛋中测量的 27 种脂肪酸中有 15 种（一种饱和脂肪酸、两种单不饱和脂肪酸和 12 种多不饱和脂肪酸）与其在鸡蛋中的水平相关。最近的饮食，并且鸡蛋的摄入率与饮食改变的程度成正比。在产卵迁徙过程中或当猎物群落随时间变化时，饮食可能会自然发生巨大变化。这项研究的结果表明，红石首鱼蛋中的脂肪酸可用于研究成虫饮食和探索海洋系统中的营养联系。本文是主题“脂质作为‘营养生物标志物’的下一个前景：消费者改变膳食脂肪酸的证据和意义”的一部分。