Description
The rotifer Brachionus plicatilis is a halophilic invertebrate often used for research and feeding young fish. One concern in this work is to provide young fish with energy-rich lipids. Past research suggests that neutral lipids serve a primarily structural role in rotifers, while other research suggests that neutral lipids are broken down for energy during starvation of rotifers, but these ideas are not mutually exclusive. In this research, Nile Red staining technique was used to quantify neutral lipids during starvation coupled with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) to identify specific lipids present during periods of starvation. Results demonstrate that lipids are used for energy during periods of starvation up to the 48–hour point and that there is a change in fatty acid composition over longer periods of starvation. Thus, lipids appear to be an important biochemical in the storage of energy in rotifers.