Volume and Lipid, Fatty Acid, and Amino Acid Composition of Golden Shiner Eggs during a Spawning Season

The Arkansas baitfish industry leads the nation in production of golden shiners Notemigonus crysoleucas. To determine nutritional requirements for golden shiner broodstock diets, we examined the volume and lipid, fatty acid, and amino acid composition of the eggs produced by a group of captive broodstock over a spawning season. Egg volume was 0.67 ± 0.117 mm3 (mean ± SD); egg volume declined during the spawning season. Total lipid was 15.67 ± 2.99 μg/egg, and triacylglyceride (TAG) concentration was 6.82 ± 1.81 μg/egg. Based on the stability of egg total lipid, the percent neutral lipid, the consistent contribution of TAG to neutral lipid, the consistent TAG concentration, and the stable fatty acid and amino acid profiles, we conclude that the lipid and amino acids in eggs from the experimental group were stable. The eggs should be equally sufficient for embryological development throughout the spawning season, but specific indices of egg and fry quality must be measured to confirm the links among egg size, biochemical composition, and egg and fry quality.