Carotenoids of land-locked and sea-run types of masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae inhabiting in the Nagara River,Japan, from the perspective of chemical ecological study

Carotenoids of the land-locked type (Amago) and sea-run type (Satsukimasu) of masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae inhabiting the Nagara River, Gifu Prefecture, Japan were investigated from the perspective of the chemical ecological point of view. Yellow xanthophylls, 3′-epilutein, lutein, zeaxanthin, and diatoxanthin were major carotenoids in wild Amago. They were also present in the flesh of wild Amago. These carotenoids originated from aquatic insects, which wild Amago fed on. On the other hand, tunaxanthin, zeaxanthin, and salmoxanthin were major carotenoids in the integument of Satsukimasu, which migrated from the Ise Bay to the Nagara River. Astaxanthin was a major carotenoid in the flesh of Satsukimasu. These carotenoids accumulated from marine fish and crustaceans, which Satsukimasu fed on during migration in the sea. Carotenoids of Amago and Satukimasu well-reflect their ecological life history.