Thiamine and fatty acid content of walleye tissue from three southern U.S. reservoirs.
We determined the thiamine concentration in egg, muscle, and liver tissues of walleyes Sander vitreus and the fatty acid content of walleye eggs from three southern U.S. reservoirs. In two Tennessee reservoirs (Dale Hollow and Center Hill), in which there were alewives Alosa pseudoharengus in the forage base, natural recruitment of walleyes was not occurring; by contrast in Lake James Reservoir, North Carolina, where there were no alewives, the walleye population was sustained via natural recruitment. Female walleye tissues were collected and assayed for thiamine (vitamin B1) and fatty acid content. Thiamine pyrophosphate was found to be the predominant form of thiamine in walleye eggs. In 2000, mean total egg thiamine concentrations were similar among Center Hill, Dale Hollow, and Lake James reservoirs (2.13, 3.14, and 2.77 nmol thiamine/g, respectively). Egg thiamine concentration increased as maternal muscle (r2 = 0.73) and liver (r2 = 0.68) thiamine concentration increased. Walleye egg thiamine does not appear to be connected to poor natural reproduction in Tennessee walleyes. Threadfin shad Dorosoma petenense, which are found in all three reservoirs, had higher thiaminase activity than alewives. Six fatty acids differed among the walleye eggs for the three reservoirs. Two were physiologically important fatty acids, arachidonic acid (20:4[n-6]) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6[n-3]), which are important eicosanoid precursors involved in the regulation of biological functions, such as immune response and reproduction.
Honeyfield
Dale C
DC
US Geological Survey, Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory, 176 Straight Run Road, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania 16901, USA. honeyfie@usgs.gov
Vandergoot
Christopher S
CS
Bettoli
Phillip W
PW
Hinterkopf
Joy P
JP
Zajicek
James L
JL
D000818:Animals; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005618:Fresh Water; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D009657:North Carolina; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry; D010473:Perciformes / Q000378:metabolism*; D013714:Tennessee; D013831:Thiamine / Q000032:analysis*
D005227:Fatty Acids; D013831:Thiamine