HPLC analysis of algal pigments to define diet of sea urchins

摘要: A method for a qualitative analysis of sea urchin diet is based on the characterization photosynthetic pigment indices major algal groups in gut. The pigments were separated by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). This study demonstrated that HPLC better to estimate chlorophyll-a gut contents than conventional spectrophotometric methods which overestimate amounts including breakdown products. Three urchins species, Paracentrotus lividus, Psammechinus miliaris and Sphaerechinus granularis, settled loose-lying coralline algae (maerl) Bay Brest (France), used this identified within included chlorophylls-a, -b, -c, fucoxanthin, lutein, β,e-carotene β,β-carotene. presence chlorophylls carotenoid biomarkers was characterize three groups: Rhodophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Phaeophyceae estimating diet. reported here species investigated mainly consumed Rhodophyceae dominate epibenthic flora area.