Asset Details
Do you wish to reserve the book?
When a repellent becomes an attractant: harmful saponins are kairomones attracting the symbiotic Harlequin crab
Hey, we have placed the reservation for you!
By the way, why not check out events that you can attend while you pick your title.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place the reservation. Kindly try again later.
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
When a repellent becomes an attractant: harmful saponins are kairomones attracting the symbiotic Harlequin crab
Do you wish to request the book?
When a repellent becomes an attractant: harmful saponins are kairomones attracting the symbiotic Harlequin crab
Please be aware that the book you have requested cannot be checked out. If you would like to checkout this book, you can reserve another copy
We have requested the book for you!
Your request is successful and it will be processed during the Library working hours. Please check the status of your request in My Requests.
Oops! Something went wrong.
Looks like we were not able to place your request. Kindly try again later.
Journal Article
When a repellent becomes an attractant: harmful saponins are kairomones attracting the symbiotic Harlequin crab
2013
Overview
Marine organisms have developed a high diversity of chemical defences in order to avoid predators and parasites. In sea cucumbers, saponins function as repellents and many species produce these cytotoxic secondary metabolites. Nonetheless, they are colonized by numerous symbiotic organisms amongst which the Harlequin crab,
Lissocarcinus orbicularis
, is one of the most familiar in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. We here identify for the first time the nature of the molecules secreted by sea cucumbers and attracting the symbionts: saponins are the kairomones recognized by the crabs and insuring the symbiosis. The success of this symbiosis would be due to the ability that crabs showed during evolution to bypass the sea cucumber chemical defences, their repellents becoming powerful attractants. This study therefore highlights the complexity of chemical communication in the marine environment.
