Analyses of fatty acids from the dorsal muscle of Acipenser naccarii x A. baerii sturgeon hybrid were carried out. The data were compared with those reported in the literature for other sturgeons reared for human consumption. This hybrid would seem to be of great nutritional interest, its flesh being more beneficial for human health than those of other cultured sturgeons. In fact, the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was very high (34.7 +/- 0.67%), being similar to that of monounsaturated fatty acids (37.9 +/- 0.83%). Moreover, the PUFAs-n3/PUFAs-n6 ratio (6.74) was noticeably higher in this hybrid than in the other cultured sturgeon species. There were also high contents of EPA (C20:5n3) and DHA (C22:6n3), the two most important essential fatty acids for human health. The linolenic acid (C18:3n3) is the metabolic precursor of the PUFAs-n3, and it is important also in human metabolism. In A. naccarii x A. baerii hybrid we found higher Cl 8:30 values than in other sturgeon species cultured for commercial purposes. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.