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Identification and significance of pyrochlorins in fecal pellets of the marine malacostracan crustaceans Heptacarpus rectirostris and Palaemon pacificus

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Abstract

The chlorophyll derivatives, especially pyrochlorins, from macrobentho-pelagic fecal pellets were separated and identified using reversed-phase high-per-formance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). HPLC-frit-fast atom bombardment (FAB)-MS analysis of fecal pellet extracts was performed, and the ions at m/z (mass-to-charge ratio), 534 [M]+, 827 [M+H]+ and 812 [M]+ as base peaks contirm the presence of pyropheophorbide a, pyropheophytin b and pyropheophytin a, respectively. Identification of pyrochlorins in fecal pellets suggests that decarbomethoxylation of chlorophylls can occur during bentho-pelagic grazing and that pyrochlorins in sedimentary environments may be derived in part from fecal pellets.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Science & Technology, Tokyo University of Fisheries, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato-ku, 108, Tokyo, Japan

    A. Otsuki & S. Hashimoto

  2. Nippon Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd., 9-15-1 Kameido, Koutou-ku, 136, Tokyo, Japan

    Y. Kaneda

Authors
  1. A. Otsuki
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  2. Y. Kaneda
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  3. S. Hashimoto
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Communicated by T. Ikeda, Niigata

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Otsuki, A., Kaneda, Y. & Hashimoto, S. Identification and significance of pyrochlorins in fecal pellets of the marine malacostracan crustaceans Heptacarpus rectirostris and Palaemon pacificus . Marine Biology 115, 463–467 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349845

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349845

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