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. 2011;9(8):1419-1427.
doi: 10.3390/md9081419. Epub 2011 Aug 22.

Carotenoids in marine invertebrates living along the Kuroshio current coast

Takashi Maoka  1 , Naoshige Akimoto  2 , Miyuki Tsushima  3 , Sadao Komemushi  4 , Takuma Mezaki  5 , Fumihito Iwase  5 , Yoshimitsu Takahashi  6 , Naomi Sameshima  6 , Miho Mori  6 , Yoshikazu Sakagami  6
Affiliations

Carotenoids in marine invertebrates living along the Kuroshio current coast

Takashi Maoka et al. Mar Drugs. 2011.

Abstract

Carotenoids of the corals Acropora japonica, A. secale, and A. hyacinthus, the tridacnid clam Tridacna squamosa, the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci, and the small sea snail Drupella fragum were investigated. The corals and the tridacnid clam are filter feeders and are associated with symbiotic zooxanthellae. Peridinin and pyrrhoxanthin, which originated from symbiotic zooxanthellae, were found to be major carotenoids in corals and the tridacnid clam. The crown-of-thorns starfish and the sea snail D. fragum are carnivorous and mainly feed on corals. Peridinin-3-acyl esters were major carotenoids in the sea snail D. fragum. On the other hand, ketocarotenoids such as 7,8-didehydroastaxanthin and astaxanthin were major carotenoids in the crown-of-thorns starfish. Carotenoids found in these marine animals closely reflected not only their metabolism but also their food chains.

Keywords: carotenoid; food chain; marine invertebrates; metabolism.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Carotenoids identified from Acropora corals, the tridacnid clam T. squamosa, starfish A. planci, and sea snail D. fragum.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Possible bioformation roots of new carotenoids in crown-of-thorns starfish.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Accumulation and metabolism of carotenoids that originate from zooxanthellae to the starfish and sea snail through the food chain.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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