Pigments of some echinoderms collected from Western Australian waters

Abstract

Sixteen species belonging to the phylum Echinodermata have been surveyed for the presence of colouring matters by thin-layer chromatography. Comantheria briareus (Bell) yielded the linear naphthopyrones comantherin (1), neocomantherin (2), a new pigment, 5,8- dihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-propyl-4H-naphtho[2,3-b]pyran-4-one (3), and the angular naphthopyrone comaparvin (4). Comatula solaris Lamarck afforded the anthraquinone rhodolamprometrin (5) and Comatula rotalaria Lamarck yielded rhodocomatulin 6-methyl ether (6). Both C. solaris and C. Rotalaria afforded rhodocomatulin 6,8-dimethyl ether (7).