Forty-eight species of seaweeds from Japanese waters were screened for the valuable polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The eight species that contained the highest levels of these compounds were analyzed in detail. Of all species tested the red alga Pachymeniopsis lanceolata contained the highest EPA concentration, and it was present as both the free and bound forms. EPA constituted 38.7% of total fatty acids, and polar lipids were the main constituent of the total lipids in P. lanceolata. EPA was obtained from the marine algae P, lanceollata by enzymatic hydrolysis of the total lipids extract using phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)). The release of EPA reached a plateau after 10 min of enzymatic treatment. These results suggest that P. lanceolata is a useful natural source of EPA and that PLA, treatment is a convenient method for obtaining EPA from the red alga.