Variations in proximate composition and energetic values among marine fish from South Pacific islands

Abstract

We analysed the proximate composition (moisture, proteins, lipids, ash, and carbohydrates) of 204 fish belonging to 17 families across four islands in the southern Pacific Ocean (Fiji, Moorea, New Caledonia, and Rapa Nui), mostly on coral reefs, allowing calculation of their energetic values. On average, moisture constituted 78.1% (min: 73.5%, max: 83.3%) of fish muscle wet weight, proteins 16.1% (min: 10.7%, max: 22.0%), lipids 4.4% (min: 1.9%, max: 8.5%), ash 1.2% (min: 0.7%, max: 1.6%), and carbohydrates 0.15% (min: 0.03%, max: 0.49%). Despite broad similarities across islands and trophic categories, several significant differences were detected, although their magnitude was small. For instance, fish from Rapa Nui have less lipid (~3.0% on average) and more moisture (~79.3% on average) than those from other sites. Herbivores have less protein than carnivores (15.0% vs 16.5%) but have more lipids than omnivores (5.4% vs 3.7%). At the species level, energetic values ranged from 3.99 kJ•g -1 (Sargocentron wilhelmi, Rapa Nui) to 6.81 kJ•g -1 (Atule mate, New Caledonia). Overall, our results improve our understanding of the composition and energetic values of Pacific coral reef fish, while highlighting the need for broader spatial and temporal sampling across a greater diversity of species and sites.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{letourneur2026variations,
  title = {{Variations in proximate composition and energetic values among marine fish from South Pacific islands}},
  author = {Yves Letourneur and Valeriano Parravicini and Germán Zapata-Hernández and Javier Sellanes},
  journal = {Journal of Applied Ichthyology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.48130/jai-0026-0010},
  url = {https://unc.hal.science/hal-05796337v1},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Variations in proximate composition and energetic values among marine fish from South Pacific islands
AU  - Yves Letourneur
AU  - Valeriano Parravicini
AU  - Germán Zapata-Hernández
AU  - Javier Sellanes
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/13
JO  - Journal of Applied Ichthyology
DO  - 10.48130/jai-0026-0010
UR  - https://unc.hal.science/hal-05796337v1
AB  - We analysed the proximate composition (moisture, proteins, lipids, ash, and carbohydrates) of 204 fish belonging to 17 families across four islands in the southern Pacific Ocean (Fiji, Moorea, New Caledonia, and Rapa Nui), mostly on coral reefs, allowing calculation of their energetic values. On average, moisture constituted 78.1% (min: 73.5%, max: 83.3%) of fish muscle wet weight, proteins 16.1% (min: 10.7%, max: 22.0%), lipids 4.4% (min: 1.9%, max: 8.5%), ash 1.2% (min: 0.7%, max: 1.6%), and carbohydrates 0.15% (min: 0.03%, max: 0.49%). Despite broad similarities across islands and trophic categories, several significant differences were detected, although their magnitude was small. For instance, fish from Rapa Nui have less lipid (~3.0% on average) and more moisture (~79.3% on average) than those from other sites. Herbivores have less protein than carnivores (15.0% vs 16.5%) but have more lipids than omnivores (5.4% vs 3.7%). At the species level, energetic values ranged from 3.99 kJ•g -1 (Sargocentron wilhelmi, Rapa Nui) to 6.81 kJ•g -1 (Atule mate, New Caledonia). Overall, our results improve our understanding of the composition and energetic values of Pacific coral reef fish, while highlighting the need for broader spatial and temporal sampling across a greater diversity of species and sites.
SN  - 0175-8659
SN  - 1439-0426
ER  -

Abstract

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