Evaluating Alternative and Sustainable Food Resources: A Review of the Nutritional Composition of Myctophid Fishes

Bowen Zhang (), Heidi Pethybridge, Patti Virtue, Peter D. Nichols, Kerrie Swadling, Alan Williams and Kim Lee-Chang
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Bowen Zhang: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia
Heidi Pethybridge: CSIRO Environment, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia
Patti Virtue: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia
Peter D. Nichols: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia
Kerrie Swadling: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia
Alan Williams: CSIRO Environment, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia
Kim Lee-Chang: CSIRO Environment, Battery Point, TAS 7004, Australia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-19

Abstract: Additional and alternative sustainable food resources are needed as the global human population increases. Marine fishes have long provided essential nutrients, such as omega-3 long-chain (≥C20) polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA), protein, and vitamins to meet human dietary requirements and feed for agricultural production. Many current commercial fish stocks are depleted or fully exploited, but oceanic mesopelagic fishes, particularly the myctophids (lanternfishes), represent a potentially very large and unfished resource. This review analysed the literature on nutritional and biochemical compositions of myctophids as a first step towards understanding the health benefits and risks of consuming them. We found that myctophids have high levels of protein (11–23% wet weight, WW) and variable lipid content (0.5–26% WW). In most species, desirable triacylglycerols or phospholipids dominated over less-desirable wax esters, and most have abundant amounts of health-promoting n-3 LC-PUFA, such as DHA and EPA. Myctophids have low levels of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. Most nutritional information is available for species from the Pacific and Southern Oceans and for the genera Benthosema , Electrona , and Diaphus . Myctophids generally possess favourable nutritional profiles, but major gaps in knowledge regarding their stock assessment, ecology and the economic viability for their harvest are barriers to developing sustainable fisheries.

Keywords: protein; omega-3 oils; contaminants; mesopelagic; lipids; fishery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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