Comparative fatty acid profiles in edible parts of wild scallops from the Tunisian coast

Muscle and gonad fatty acid compositions from the Pectinids: Pecten jacobaeus, Chlamys varia and Flexopecten glaber, from the Tunisian coast, were analysed. The recorded main fatty acid components in both organs for the three species were C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C20:5ω3 and C22:6ω3. Meanwhile, high proportions of EPA and DHA were recorded in the muscle of C. varia (10.1–20.4%), P. jacobaeus (7.68–14.9%), whereas the highest rates (8.98–7.78%) were recorded in gonad for F. glaber. Highest ω3/ω6 ratios were recorded in muscle and gonad of C. varia (9.01 and 7.72, respectively). In P. jacobaeus, the muscle and the gonad had similar nutritional values. Muscle of C. varia had a better fatty acid composition than had the gonad, whilst the gonad value was higher than the muscle in the case of F. glaber.