216 
Fishery Bulletin 107(2) 
Table 5 
Contributions of individual fatty acids (FAs) to total FA mass loss during quillback rockfish ( Sebastes maliger ) embryogenesis 
based on comparison of average FA masses for four early embryonic (stages 2-3) and four hatched larval (stage 10) samples. 
Each sample was a composite of hundreds of larvae from the same parent (n = 8 maternal females). Results are ranked by mass 
loss in nanograms (ng), and grouped by degree of saturation (SFA= saturated fatty acid; MUFA=monounsaturated fatty acid; 
PUFA=polyunsaturated fatty acid). High variability (low precision), as indicated by coefficients of variation >10%, was found in 
duplicate samples for 18:lnll (32.1%), 24:ln9 (21.2%) and 24:0 (11.3%). *=trace (<1 ng). 
Fatty acid 
Mass (ng) 
per embryo ±1 SD 
Mass (ng) 
per larva ±1 SD 
Mass loss (ng) 
% of total FA 
mass loss 
SFA 
16:0 
3250 ±481 
2010 ±410 
1240 
13.5 
14:0 
660 ±111 
300 ±41 
360 
3.9 
18:0 
605 ±87 
536 ±119 
69 
0.8 
15:0 
113 ±9 
49 ±13 
64 
0.7 
17:0 
73 ±9 
37 ±6 
36 
0.4 
20:0 
11 ±1 
9 ±1 
2 
<0.1 
22:0 
* 
* 
* 
<0.1 
24:0 
* 
* 
* 
<0.1 
All SFAs 
4710 
2940 
1770 
19.4 
MUFA 
18:ln9 cis and trans 
3450 ±509 
2230 ±576 
1220 
13.4 
18:ln7 
1260 ±180 
731 ±148 
529 
5.8 
16:ln7 
1510 ±222 
1180 ±340 
330 
3.6 
20:lnll 
269 ±100 
86 ±44 
183 
2.0 
20:ln9 
255 ±42 
128 ±16 
127 
1.4 
18:lnll 
115 ±35 
41 ±53 
74 
0.8 
22:lnll 
80 ±36 
21 ±10 
59 
0.7 
22:ln9 
24 ±5 
12 ±1 
12 
0.1 
24:ln9 
64 ±9 
53 ±13 
11 
0.1 
14:ln5 
10 ±2 
8 ±3 
2 
<0.1 
All MUFAs 
7040 
4490 
2550 
27.9 
PUFA 
22:6n3 
5950 ±959 
3850 ±846 
2100 
23.0 
20:5n3 
4200 ±832 
2240 ±454 
1960 
21.3 
22:5n3 
806 ±223 
522 ±123 
284 
3.1 
18:2n6 
299 ±38 
131 ±37 
168 
1.8 
20:4n6 
735 ±73 
612 ±90 
123 
1.3 
18:3n3 
154 ±24 
54 ±24 
100 
1.1 
20:3n3 
63 ±39 
17 ±5 
46 
0.5 
20:2n6 
61 ±17 
25 ±7 
36 
0.4 
18:3n6 
20 ±1 
10 ±3 
10 
0.1 
20:3n6 
9 ±2 
6 ±2 
3 
<0.1 
22:2n6 
3 ±1 
* 
* 
<0.1 
All PUFAs 
12300 
7470 
4830 
52.7 
and quillback rockfish, both of which had lower initial 
concentrations of protein on a wet mass basis than yel- 
lowtail rockfish. From a purely energetic perspective, 
embryos of all three of these rockfish species show a 
greater decline in energy available as lipid than as 
protein. 
The energy density of early-stage quillback rockfish 
embryos (5.24 J/mg) was similar to the typical value 
for marine spawning species of 6.0 J/mg reported by 
Kamler (1992). Changes in the energy density of wet 
tissue mass were largely a reflection of changes in the 
percent moisture; whereas changes in the dry tissue 
composition contributed less. Energy density on a dry 
mass basis was similar to the value for fish eggs of 
23.48 J/mg reported by Wootton (1979) as an average 
across many species. This is not surprising, given that 
interspecific variation in the energy density of fish eggs 
is relatively low (Kamler, 1992), compared with the 
range of egg sizes and total energy contents. 
The distinction between viviparous and ovoviviparous 
is a consideration in interpreting mass loss and energy 
data in our study because it hinges on whether the em- 
