Metabolism and Nutritive Role of Cholesterol in the Growth, Gonadal Development, and Reproduction of Crustaceans

Cholesterol is a major sterol in crustaceans that occurs in all cells and in the hemolymph, either in free form or combined with fatty acids. Unlike vertebrates, shrimps and other crustaceans are incapable of de novo synthesis of cholesterol; therefore, dietary cholesterol is essential for their growth and survival. Their requirement, however, is often species-specific and may also depend on the dietary protein and lipid sources. Dietary lipid...