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Review
. 2025 Jan 13;23(1):37.
doi: 10.3390/md23010037.

Fatty Acids in Cnidaria: Distribution and Specific Functions

Vasily I Svetashev  1
Affiliations
Review

Fatty Acids in Cnidaria: Distribution and Specific Functions

Vasily I Svetashev. Mar Drugs. .

Abstract

The phylum Cnidaria comprises five main classes-Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Hexacorallia, Octocorallia and Cubozoa-that include such widely distributed and well-known animals as hard and soft corals, sea anemones, sea pens, gorgonians, hydroids, and jellyfish. Cnidarians play a very important role in marine ecosystems. The composition of their fatty acids (FAs) depends on food (plankton and particulate organic matter), symbiotic photosynthetic dinoflagellates and bacteria, and de novo biosynthesis in host tissues. In cnidarian lipids, besides the common FA characteristics of marine organisms, numerous new and rare FAs are also found. All Octocorallia species and some Scyphozoa jellyfish contain polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) with 24 and 26 carbon atoms. The coral families can be distinguished by specific FA profiles: the presence of uncommon FAs or high/low levels of common fatty acids. Many of the families have characteristic FAs: Acroporidae are characterized by 18:3n6, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) 20:5n3, 22:4n6, and 22:5n3; Pocilloporidae by 20:3n6, 20:4n3, and docosahexaenoic acid 22:6n3 (DHA); and Poritidae by arachidonic acid (AA) and DHA. The species of Faviidae show elevated concentrations of 18:3n6 and 22:5n3 acids. Dendrophylliidae, being azooxanthellate corals, have such dominant acids as EPA and 22:5n3 and a low content of DHA, which is the major PUFA in hermatypic corals. The major and characteristic PUFAs for Milleporidae (class Hydrozoa) are DHA and 22:5n6, though in scleractinian corals, the latter acid is found only in trace amounts.

Keywords: Cnidaria; Hexacorallia; Octocorallia; PUFA; corals; fatty acids; food chain markers; symbiosis; uncommon fatty acids; zooxanthellae.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
GC-MS chromatogram of medusa Rhopilema esculentum total lipid FAMEs on SLB-5ms column.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Multidimensional scale analysis performed using ten FAs selected as marker variables. Filled circles are for Acroporidae; filled squares for Pocilloporidae; filled triangles for Poritidae; open circles for Faviidae; open squares for Dendrophylliidae; filled rhombi for Pectiniidae; and open rhombi for Fungiidae. The plot is redrawn from [48].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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