Fatty acid composition of ten marine algae from australian waters

Detailed fatty acid analyses are reported for ten benthic algae from Australian waters of which the data for Cladophora fascicularis (Chlorophyta); Polysiphonia pungens, Porphyra sp., Centroceras clavatum (Rhodophyta); Hormosira banksii, Ralfsia sp., and Dictyota dichomota (Phaeophyta) are presented for the first time. The analyses report the exact molecular structure of component acids which is essential for taxonomic and food chain studies. The acid 16:4ω3 could be taxonomically distinguishing for species of the Chlorophyta. The occurrence of cis-vaccenic acid (18:1ω7) in the algae reported here suggests a distribution in marine benthic algae which is wider than hitherto realised, with particular taxonomic importance for Chlorophyta species in which it occurs in high levels. Corallina officinalis was found to contain the non-methylene interrupted acids 20:2 and 22:2.