Squalene in Nova Scotian Deep-Sea Sharks and in the Pacific Eulachon

Abstract

The occurrence of the hydrocarbon, squalene, in diverse marine organisms is not uncommon, but quantities of commercial interest are generally limited to the livers of a few members of the shark family. Nova Scotia shallow-water dogfish lack this component in their liver oil. An opportunity to compare several liver oils from deepwater exploratory catches, however, yielded diverse results, confirming its presence in deeper water species. A Pacific eulachon fish body oil rich in squalene was analysed also and the results were compared with the oils from deep sea sharks.