Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T13:27:55.640Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Sterols of the Cephalopod Spirula Spirula

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

James A. Ballantine
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Institute of Marine Studies, University College of Swansea, Wales
John C. Roberts
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, Institute of Marine Studies, University College of Swansea, Wales
Robert J. Morris
Affiliation:
Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Wormley, Surrey

Extract

The sterol biochemistry of the highly advanced molluscan class – the cephalopods – is poorly understood. Few analyses of their component sterols have been published in which GC-MS has been employed (Voogt, 1973; Idler et al. 1978; ApSimon & Burnell, 1980) and these have only involved 5 species.

From the available data the cephalopods appear to have a much simpler sterol make-up than the other less-advanced molluscs. Cholesterol appears to be easily the predominant sterol (ca. 90%) with minor amounts of up to 10 other common marine sterols. Of the species analysed, four (Sepia officinalis, Octopus vulgaris, Eledone aldrovandi and Illex illecebrosus) had a very similar major and minor sterol composition. Only the more primitive Nautilus sp. (Idler et al. 1978) had a noticeably different minor sterol composition.

Voogt (1973) reported cephalopods to be able to synthesise sterols though molluscs generally appear only to be able to carry out this biosynthesis slowly (Goad, 1978). Cephalopods are extremely active carnivores and thus would be expected to have a diverse diet. If their component sterols are of a dietary origin, a considerable variation in their minor sterol composition might be expected on the basis of the range in sterol composition reported for pelagic organisms (e.g. Morris & Culkin, 1977), many of which may be possible dietary components.

Detailed knowledge however of cephalopod diets is limited. Quite apart from the fact that healthy specimens are rarely caught in nets, those that are caught often feed voraciously on the other organisms trapped in the net prior to being brought on board for examination.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Angel, M. V., 1969. Planktonic ostracods from the Canary Island Region; their depth distributions, diurnal migrations, and community organization. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 49, 515553.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Apsimon, J. W. & Burnell, D. J., 1980. Sterols from the squid, Illex illecebrosus (Mollusca, Cephalopoda). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 65B, 567570.Google Scholar
Baker, A. De C., 1970. The vertical distribution of Euphausiids near Fuerteventura, Canary Islands (‘Discovery’ SOND Cruise, 1965). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 50, 301342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ballantine, J. A., Roberts, J. C. & Morris, R. J., 1975. Sterols of the cockle Cerastoderma edule. Evaluation of thermostable liquid phases for the gas-liquid chromatographic mass spectrometric analysis of the trimethylsilyl ethers of marine sterols. Journal of Chromatography, 103, 289304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ballantine, J. A., Roberts, J. C. & Morris, R. J., 1976. Marine sterols III. The sterol compositions of oceanic jellyfish. The use of gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric techniques to identify unresolved components. Biomedical Mass Spectrometry, 3, 1420.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ballantine, J. A., Lavis, A., Roberts, J. C. & Morris, R. J., 1977. Marine sterols V. Sterols of some tunicata. The occurrence of saturated ring sterols in these filter feeding organisms. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 30, 2944.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ballantine, J. A., Roberts, J. C. & Morris, R. J., 1980a. Marine sterols XI. The sterols of crustaceans: decapods (sub-order Macrura). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 67B, 7579.Google Scholar
Ballantine, J. A., Roberts, J. C. & Morris, R. J., 1980b. Marine Sterols XII. The sterols of some pelagic marine crustaceans. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 47, 2533.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, M. R., 1966. A review of the systematics and ecology of oceanic squids. Advances in Marine Biology, 4, 91300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, M. K., 1969. Cephalopoda collected on the SOND cruise. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 49, 961976.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foxton, P., 1970a. The vertical distribution of pelagic decapods ‘Crustacea: Natantia’ collected on the SOND cruise 1965. I. The Caridea. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 50, 939960.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foxton, P., 1970b. The vertical distribution of pelagic decapods ‘Crustacea: Natantia’ collected on the SOND cruise 1965. II. The Penaeidea and general discussion. Journal of The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 50, 9611000.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goad, L. J., 1978. The sterols of marine invertebrates. In Marine Natural Products, Chemical and Biological Perspectives, vol. II (ed. Scherer, P. J.), pp. 75172. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Idler, D. R., Khalil, M. W., Brooks, C. J. W., Edmonds, C. G. & Gilbert, J. D., 1978. Studies of sterols from marine molluscs by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 59B, 163167.Google Scholar
Kerr, J. G., 1931. Notes upon the Dana specimens of Spirula and upon certain problems of cephalopod morphology. Dana Reports, 8, 134.Google Scholar
Lavis, A., 1978. Investigation of Marine Sterols by Combined Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry Techniques. Ph.D. Thesis, Swansea University.Google Scholar
Morris, R. J. & Culkin, F., 1977. Marine lipids: sterols. Oceanography and Marine Biology, an Annual Review, 15, 73102.Google Scholar
Nixon, M. & Dilly, P. N., 1977. Sucker surfaces and prey capture. Symposia of the Zoological Society of London, no. 38, 447511.Google Scholar
Roberts, J. C., 1976. The Analysis of the Sterol Contents of Marine Animals Using the Combined Gas Liquid Chromatographic – Mass Spectrometric Techniques. Ph.D. Thesis, Swansea University.Google Scholar
Roe, H. S. J., 1972a. The vertical distributions and diurnal migrations of calanoid copepods collected on the SOND Cruise, 1965. I. The total population and general discussion. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 52, 277314.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roe, H. S. J., 1972b. The vertical distributions and diurnal migrations of calanoid copepods collected on the SOND Cruise, 1965. II. Systematic account: families Calanidae up to and including the Aetideidae. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 52, 315343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roe, H. S. J., 1972c. The vertical distributions and diurnal migrations of calanoid copepods collected on the SOND Cruise, 1965. III. Systematics account: families Euchaetidae up to and including Metridiidae. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 52, 525552.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roe, H. S. J., 1972 d. The vertical distributions and diurnal migrations of calanoid copepods collected on the SOND Cruise, 1965. IV. Systematic account of families Lucicutiidae to Candaciidae. The relative abundance of the numerically most important genera. Journal of the Marine Biological Associations of the United Kingdom, 52, 10211044.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Volkman, J. K., Gatten, R. R. & Sargent, J. R., 1980. Composition and origin of milky water in the North Sea. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 60, 759768.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Voogt, P. A., 1973. Investigations of the capacity of synthesizing 3β-sterols in Mollusca. X. Biosynthesis of 3β-sterols in Cephalopoda. Archives internationales de physiologie et de biochimie, 81, 401407.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, J. Z., 1977. Brain, behaviour and evolution of cephalopods. Symposia of the Zoological Society of London, no. 38, 377–334.Google Scholar