ISSN:
1573-1561
Keywords:
Chemical defense
;
sponges
;
predation
;
Caribbean
;
Teichaxinella
;
Axinella
;
Agelas
;
brominated metabolites
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
Notes:
Abstract Field and laboratory experiments were performed to investigate the palatability to predatory fishes of organic extracts and purified compounds from the Caribbean reef sponge Axinella corrugata (=Teichaxinella morchella). When incorporated into artificial foods at the same volumetric concentration as found in sponge tissue, crude extracts of the sponge, as well as a butanol-soluble partition of the crude extract, deterred feeding of the Caribbean reef fish Thalassoma bifasciatum in laboratory aquarium assays and deterred feeding of a natural assemblage of fishes in assays performed on reefs where A. corrugata is found. Bioassay-directed fractionation of the butanol-soluble partition led to the isolation of a single compound responsible for feeding deterrency, stevensine, a previously described dibrominated alkaloid. The mean concentration of stevensine in A. corrugata, as determined by quantitative NMR analysis, was 19.0 mg/ml (N = 8, SD = 7.2 mg/ml). Stevensine deterred feeding in laboratory aquarium assays at concentrations 〉2.25 mg/ml, and deterred feeding in field assays at ~12 mg/ml. Stevensine represents another in the oroidin class of brominated pyrrole derivatives that function as chemical defenses of sponges in the families Axinellidae and Agelasidae.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1020811810223
Permalink
