Plasma fatty acid composition in wild and captive nile crocodile, crocodylus niloticus

1. 1. Plasma fatty acid composition was studied in mature captive and in immature wild and captive Nile crocodiles. Significant differences among the three groups were found for most of the fatty acids assayed. 2. 2. The plasma fatty acids of Wild Nile crocodile contains a higher percentage of unsaturated fatty acids than the plasma of crocodiles raised in captivity. 3. 3. The percentage of plasma Ω-3 unsaturated fatty acids was significantly higher in wild crocodiles than in captive crocodiles, and immature captive animals had a significantly higher percentage of Ω-3 fatty acids than mature captive crocodiles 4. 4. The Ω-3 Ω-6 ratio was significantly higher in wild crocodiles than in the two captive groups. The immature captive crocodiles had a significantly higher ratio than the mature captive crocodiles. 5. 5. The difference in plasma fatty acid composition between wild and captive crocodiles was probably due to differences in diet.