BIOCHEMICAL, HEAVY METAL AND FATTY ACID PROFILING STUDIES ON SOME SELECTED DEEP-SEA FISHES ALONG THE CONTINENTAL SLOPE (200 TO 1200 M DEPTH) OF INDIAN EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE

<p>The wealth of marine resources was assumed to be an unlimited gift of nature. Deep sea fishes that used to live in extreme environment are thought to have nutritional and bioactive compounds that are beneficial for human health. Deep-sea fishes (myctophids) can be utilized for the production of commercial fishery products like fish meal, fish oil, fish silage, surimi, seasoning products, feed for cultured fish, nutrient resource in the formulation of poultry feed as well as crop fertilizers and products like lubricating oil, cosmetics and wax. Deep-water fisheries are becoming more and more important, and there is a paucity of safety monitoring of the ecosystem. The food consumption and metabolism of deep-sea fish was not much studied. Some deep-sea pelagic groups, such as the lantern fish, ridge head, marine hatchet fish, and light fish families are sometimes termed pseudoceanic because, rather than having an even distribution in open water, they occur in significantly higher abundances around structural oasis, notably seamounts and over continental slopes. The phenomenon is explained by the likewise abundance of prey species which are also attracted to the structures. Information on the proximate chemical composition will be important when utilization of new species of deeper water fishes is considered. This is because deeper water fishes are considered to be not only food with good source of quality protein but also food with healthy components. The present study concerning to proximate composition of cruise wise variations of moisture, protein, fat and ash in the edible part of deeper waters are of <i>Alepocephalus bicolor, Narcetes erimelas, Talismania longifilis, Chlorophthalmus bicornis, Lamprogrammus niger, Beryx splendens, Chelidoperca investigatoris, Neoepinnula orientalis, Cubiceps baxteri</i> and<i> Psenopsis cyanea</i> along the continental slope (200m – 1200 m depth) of Indian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). Proximate composition of fish species greatly varies due to physiological reasons and changes in environmental conditions, <i>i.e.,</i> spawning, migration, and starvation or heavy feeding. This overview will explain the percentages of moisture, protein, fat and ash compositions of selected deep-sea fishes caught from the Indian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).