Odour-active compounds in muscle of turbot (Psetta maxima) fed experimental diets containing fish oil (FO), soybean oil (SO) or linseed oil (LO) were investigated by a gas chromatography/olfactometry technique. Thirty-one areas associated with odours were detected in muscle extracts. Among the compounds responsible for these odours, 23 were formed by oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. Independently of diet, (E)-2-penten-1-ol and (E)-3-hexen-1-ol contribute strongly to the odour of turbot. (E,Z)-2,6-Nonadienal, (E)-2-pentenal and (E,E)-1,3-(Z)-5-octatriene seem to contribute strongly to the odour of turbot fed diets containing high levels of n-3 PUFA (FO and LO groups). Hexanal and decanal show a high detection frequency in turbot fed diets containing vegetable oils. Odorous compounds which are not formed by lipid oxidation (methional, 1-acetyl pyrazine, 4-ethyl benzaldehyde and 2-acetyl-2-thiazoline) were not affected by dietary lipid sources.