Chemical defense of the caribbean reef sponge Axinella corrugata against predatory fishes

• Published in: Journal of chemical ecology Vol. 25; no. 12; pp. 2811 - 2823
• Main Authors: WILSON, D. M, PUYANA, M, FENICAL, W, PAWLIK, J. R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01.12.1999; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Aquariums; Autoecology; Axinella corrugata; Bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical defense; Coral reefs; Extraction processes; Feeding; Fish; Fractionation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine; Porifera; Predation; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Teichaxinella morchella; Marine environment; Predator prey relation; Defensive secretion; Porifera; Metabolite; Chemical composition; Identification; Predation; Invertebrata
• ISSN: 0098-0331; 1573-1561
• DOI: 10.1023/a:1020811810223

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.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]