The nutritional value of lipids in various tropical aquatic animals from rice–fish farming systems in northeast Thailand

Knowledge on the lipid compositions of tropical freshwater aquatic animals is limited despite their importance in the human diet and the health-related benefits of fish lipids. This study examines the lipid content and fatty acid composition from the edible muscle tissue of some common freshwater aquatic animals that inhabit rice fields in Thailand, namely snakehead (Channa striatus), Gunther's walking catfish (Clarias macrocephalus), climbing perch (Anabas testudineus), blackline rasbora (Rasbora borapetensis), swamp barb (Puntius brevis), and freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense). All specimens were low in muscle fat (≤1.1% of wet weight). There was considerable variation in the fatty acid composition between species. All species were good sources of the essential fatty acids, and particularly of C22:6n-3 (5.2–13.3% total FA) and C20:4n-6 (7.2–14.6% total FA), signifying their high nutritional quality for human nutrition. The findings indicate that strategies for rural development, food security, and alleviation of poverty in rural areas need to pay special attention to the management of aquatic resources to ensure the health and well-being of rural people.