Sphingolipids are ubiquitous in all eukaryotic organisms and known to be essential constituents of cellular membranes. Recently, various physiological functions of dietary sphingolipids, such as preventing cancer, improving skin barrier and contributing to central nervous system myelination have been demonstrated. To characterize the sphingolipids from fish as food components, tissue distribution of sphingomyelin and glycosylceramide (ceramide monohexoside, CMH) in fish were determined in this study. We established a rapid, accurate and effective method for separation, purification and determination of sphingolipids by using high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light-scattering detector (ELSD-HPLC). Sphingolipids were extracted and quantified from pacific saury (Cololabis saira). Sphingomyelin in different tissues of Cololabis saira ranged from 2.5 +/- 0.2 mg/g to 27.6 +/- 2.1 mg/g, the content in brain was the highest, followed by eyes, and CMH contents were less than 23.0 +/- 2.4 mg/g in all tissues. These results revealed that fish contained CMH and sphingomyelin as same levels as most of the terrestrial organisms and suggested marine organisms could be used as a potential source of precious and useful complex lipids.