CHEMICAL STUDIES ON ANTIFOULING SUBSTANCES IN MARINE-INVERTEBRATES .1. ANTIFOULING SUBSTANCES AGAINST THE MUSSEL IN AN OCTOCORAL DENDRONEPHTHYA SP

In a study of antifouling substances against the blue mussel Mytilus e dulis L., 11 out of 23 acetone extracts of marine invertebrates collec ted in the Ogasawara Islands showed antifouling activities. One of act ive species, an octocoral Dendronephthya sp., gave sterols and a fatty acid mixture mainly composing of C-16 and C18 acids as active constit uents. A comparison of the antifouling activities of various fatty aci ds suggested that unsaturated fatty acids were thought to be responsib le for the activity. Since fatty acids were commonly detected in other active extracts, they might play an important role in antifouling act ivities in marine invertebrates.