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- Title
CHEMICAL DEFENSE OF Hymeniacidon heliophila (PORIFERA: HALICHONDRIDA) AGAINST TROPICAL PREDATORS.
- Authors
Ribeiro, Suzi Meneses; Bianco, Éverson Miguel; Rogers, Ricardo; Teixeira, Valéria Laneuville; Pereira, Renato Crespo
- Abstract
Various benthic organisms have chemical defenses which reduce their predators' consumption. Although their efficiency may be noticed in many organisms, many of their effects are not wellknown yet. Multiple ecological roles of secondary metabolites are shown in some sponges, which may represent an adaptative advantage considering the high amount of energy used to produce these chemical compounds. The goal of this work was to investigate the defensive property of the extracts from the sponge Hymeniacidon heliophila against the tropical predators: hermit crabs (Calcinus tibicens), sea urchins (Lytechinus variegatus) and generalist fishes. Extracts obtained with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and acetone/methanol were used in assays and all of them were effective in reducing the consumption by C. tibicens; n-hexane extract reduced the consumption by L. variegatus; and medium polarity extracts reduced fish consumption. Either the variation in action or the multiple ecological roles of the extracts indicates that different types of compounds can be associated to the defensive system produced by H. heliophila.
- Subjects
HALICHONDRIDA; SPONGES (Invertebrates); BENTHOS; METABOLITES; MARINE chemical ecology; PREDATORY animals; HERMIT crabs; SEA urchins
- Publication
Brazilian Journal of Oceanography, 2010, Vol 58, Issue 4, p315
- ISSN
1679-8759
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1590/S1679-87592010000400006