Marine waxes. Many marine animals from invertebrates to whales contain appreciable amounts of
waxes in the form mainly of hydrocarbons and wax esters. In addition, glycerol ethers and sterols
could be classified as wax components in some species. They are found in a variety of tissues
from fish roe, to liver and muscle tissues. The wax esters consist of the normal range of saturated,
monoenoic and polyunsaturated fatty acids typical of fish, esterified to mainly saturated and
monoenoic alcohols often with the 18:1 fatty alcohol as the main component. Squalene and other
terpenoid hydrocarbons are frequently major components of the hydrocarbon fraction, and can be
accompanied by saturated (straight-chain and methyl-branched), monoenoic and polyenoic
components. Waxes appear to have a variety of functions in fish, from serving as an energy source
to insulation, buoyancy and even echo location. Spermaceti or sperm whale oil (wax esters, 76%;
triacylglycerols, 23%) was once in great demand as a lubricant but now is proscribed.