The fatty acid profile of four different genetic strains of Clarias gariepinus: gold (G), Netherlands (N), RAU (K) and Wild (W) were evaluated. Fertilised eggs and larvae of the four strains were maintained under identical environmental conditions. After nine weeks, the two faster growing strains (G and W) had less total body lipid than the others (N and R). The total saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids of the four strains were: G – 32.1; 26.8 and 37.9%; N – 33.5; 27.8 and 35.5%; R – 32.7; 29.0 and 35.4%; W – 32.9; 27.7 and 36.8%, respectively. The major fatty acids that showed statistically significant differences between strains were: C16:0, C18:1ω9, C22:5ω3 and C22:6ω3. The G strain had a significantly higher ω3/ω6 ratio (2.2) compared to that of the other strains (N – 1.9; K – 1.9 and W – 1.9). In a second trial, juveniles of strain G were fed an artificial diet for 60 days containing no lipid (A, control), or the following lipids at 10% of the diet, sunflower oil (B. a high level of C18:lω9 and C18:2ω6), cod liver oil (C, a high level of 20 and 22 Cω3 fatty acids) and tallow (D, predominantly SFA and MUFA). Muscle total lipid composition was strongly influenced by diet and contained the following SFA, MUFA and PUFA percentages, and a ω3/ω6 ratio of: A – 35.9; 45.3; 15.0% and 0.5; B – 30.6; 33.4; 33.6% and 0.1; C – 33.2; 37.2; 23.6% and 1.8; D – 38.7; 45.3; 12.1% and 0.4, respectively.