Coilia nasus is an anadromous fish species with commercial importance and high market value in China, and it has a potential for aquaculture. In order to understand the value of changes in fatty acid compositions during embryonic and early post-embryonic development of C. nasus, the fatty acid compositions and contents at different developmental stages (embryos at 7﹣9 h of fertilization, newly hatched larvae at the age of 0-day, larvae at the age of 3-day, and larvae at the age of 5-day before feeding ) were collected and analyzed by biochemical analysis methods. The experimental data were statistically analyzed with variance analysis. The results showed that the total lipid percent contents of C. nasus larvae at different developmental stages were high (53.10%﹣60.97%, Table 1), while decreased significantly with ontogenesis (P < 0.05, Table 1). The individual total lipid percent contents decreased sharply with ontogenesis (P < 0.05), and the value dropped dramatically from 43.62 μg/ind in embryos to 16.27 μg/ind in 5-day-old larvae (Table 1); while, the moisture increased significantly with ontogenesis (P < 0.05, Table 1). A total of 6 saturated fatty acids (SFA), 4 mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and 8 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were found in the dry sample at different developmental stages (Table 2). The C18:1n9c content of C. nasus was the highest and had an absolute advantage at different developmental stages (50.39%﹣57.00%, P < 0.05, Table 2), the C16:1 content was rich and stable (13.77%﹣14.24%, P > 0.05, Table 2), the C16:0 content was also rich (7.45%﹣9.15%) (Table 2). Simultaneously, the MUFA had an absolute advantage (65.14%﹣72.26%), the ratio of n-3 series poly-unsaturated fatty acids (∑n3PUFA)/ n-6 series poly-unsaturated fatty acids (∑n6PUFA) was low (1.78﹣2.38) (Table 2). During the incubation period, the degree of actual reduction of MUFA was higher, especially in C18:1n9c (13.21 μg/ind and 55.49%) and C16:1 (3.30 μg/ind and 53.12%)(Fig. 2), while, the degree of actual reduction of C20:5n3 (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA) + C22:6n3 (docosahexenoic acid, DHA) was lower (1.44 μg/ind and 38.41%), especially in DHA (0.95 μg/ind and 36.52%, Fig. 2). After hatch, at the endogenous feeding stage, the utilization rate of MUFA was lower (1.94 μg/ind and 14.17%), especially in C18:1n9c (13.21 μg/ind and 12.41%) and C16:1 (0.63 μg/ind and 21.81%, Fig. 3), while the utilization rate of EPA + DHA was higher (1.04 μg/ind and 45.10%)，especially in DHA (0.71 μg/ind and 42.61%, Fig. 3). Therefore, EPA+DHA are preserved by priority during the C. nasus embryo incubation period, EPA + DHA (especially DHA) are largely consumed before the C. nasus larvae feeding, which is close to the fatty acids utilization characteristics of freshwater fish. In antepartum and postpartum cultivation of C. nasus brood stock, in order to improve the nutrition accumulation of brood stock and the recovery of physiological function of postpartum brood stock, diets enriched with the MUFA (especially C18:1 and C16:1) is suggested. In early larval breeding of C. nasus, in order to improve the survival rate of larvae, diets enriched with DHA and EPA (e.g., porphyridiophyceae and yolk) is also suggested.