Characterization of lipid distribution in rainbow trout by magnetic resonance, color vision and histology imaging techniques

Lipids are often studied as global content without considering their anatomic distribution. Depending on species, lipids are deposited either in non specialized organs and tissues (liver, muscle) or in adipose tissues (Fauconneau et al., 1997). Because of the links between location of fat stores and product quality, precise data on distribution in different body compartments and within some tissues (skeletal muscle) are needed. This paper describes data from three imaging techniques as tools to characterize the fat content and distribution in two lines of rainbow trout issued from the third generation of a two-way selection for muscle lipid content (Quillet et al., 2005).