The concentration of TL in Penaeus kerathurus muscle and cephalothorax was 1.03+/-0.04 (75.9+/-0.8% of which was PhL) and 2.36+/-0.07% (45.5+/-0.8% of which was PhL) of the wet tissue, respectively. The phosphatidylethanolamine represented 26.4+/-0.6% (85.6% diacyl- and 14.4% alkyl-acyl- or alkenyl-acyl-analogues) of muscle and 24.7+/-0.2% (90.7% diacyl- and 9.3% alkyl-acyl- or 1-alkenyl-acyl-analogues) of cephalothorax phospholipids while the phosphatidylcholine represented 57.1+/-0.6% (86.9% diacyl- and 13.1% alkyl-acyl- or alkenyl-acyl-analogues) of muscle and 47.2+/-0.4% (89.1% diacyl- and 10.9% alkyl-acyl- or 1-alkenyl-acyl-analogues) of cephalothorax phospholipids, respectively. The main fatty acids of phosphatidylethanolamine were C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 omega-9, C20:4 omega-6, C20:5 omega-3, C22:6 omega-3 and of phosphatidylcholine were C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 omega-9, C20:4 omega-6, C20:5 omega-3. Low percentages of 2-OH C14:0 and cyclo-17:0 fatty acids were also determined. Phosphatidylethanolamine were found to contain a significantly (P<0.05) higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to phosphatidylcholine. The omega-3/omega-6 ratio in muscle phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine was significantly (P<0.05) higher to the ones of cephalothorax.