Comparative Study of the Lipid Content and the Fatty Acid Composition in the Parasite (Mothocya Belonae) and in the Muscle of its host (Belone Belone), (Teleost, Belonidae) Collected in the Bay of Monastir (Central Mediterranean)

The fatty acid composition of the parasite, Mothocya belonae, and the muscle of its host, Belone belone (Garfish), were compared. The saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in parasite and the host are respectively 49% to 52.9%; 25.12% to 28.8% and 25.87% to18.2 % of total fatty acids. The parasite is characterized by palmitic (C16: 0), oleic (C18: 1n-9), arachidonic acid (C20: 4n-6) and EPA (C20: 5n-3) with respective percentages of 29.1%, 17.6%, 3.9% and 7.7% of total fatty acids. Parasite tissues are distinguished by their high EPA + DHA with a rate of 19.4% of total fatty acids.