Seaweed preferences of the tropical herbivorous surgeonfish Zebrasorna flavescens were examined in aquarium assays on Guam, in order to examine the role of secondary metabolites in determining its preferences. Of 55 species of macrophytes examined (49 algae, 5 cyanobactena, l seagrass), only 7 species were highly preferred. Seaweed extracts were examined by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the presence or absence of secondary metabolites. Extracts from the non-preferred seaweeds and several pure major metabolites from these seaweeds were tested as feeding deterrents by applying them to the surface of Enterornorpha clathrata, a preferred alga. Extracts that contained secondary metabolites and were the most deterrent were from Bryopsis pennata, Chlorodesmis fastigiata, Desmia hornernanni, Microcoleus lyngbyaceus, Liagora farinosa, and Dictyota bartayresii. The deterrent pure metabolites were malygamide A (from M. lyngbyaceus), chlorodesmin (from C. fastigiata), pachydictyol A (from D. bartayresii), ochtodene (from D. hornernanni), and a fatty acid metabolite isolated from L. farinosa. Several extracts which did not contain metabolites based on our chemical analyses were also significantly deterrent including those from Codiurn geppii, Padina tenuis, Galaxaura oblongata, and Halyrnenia durvlllaei. Extracts from Caulerpa racernosa, Avrainvillea obscura, and Asparagopsis taxiformis contained secondary metabolites yet were non-deterrent. The pure metabolites caulerpin, caulerpenyne, and avrainvilleol from C, racernosa and A. obscura were also non-deterrent. Secondary metabolites appear to account for the low palatabhty of many of the seaweeds examined. However, not all secondary metabolites were effective deterrents toward this herbivore.
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