Lipids and in particular polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are important for a number of physiological functions in animals.  PUFA are also major components of cellular membranes.  Many marine animals cannot synthesise "essential" PUFA de novo and therefore serious deficiency signs such as low growth rates, reduced survival, low fecundity and lowered disease resistance can occur if sufficient amounts of these fatty acids are not supplied in the diet.  

The main focus of this research was to determine the requirement of abalone for PUFA for optimal muscle growth and the appropriateness of alternative lipids as sources of essential PUFA.  None of this work had been performed for abalone previously.

Keywords: Abalone, Diet, Formulated diets, Lipids, Nutritional requirements, Polyunsaturated fatty acids, Sterols