Mycosporine aminoacids and related compounds from the eggs of fishes

A survey of the distribution of mycosporines in marine organisms has shown that these compounds, previously found only in a few species, are almost ubiquitary among invertebrates and occur also in fishes, mainly in ripe eggs. These were found to contain, in addition to known members of the series, two related metabolites which were isolated and formulated as the enolised β-diketones 4 and 5, the latter corresponding to the postulated precursor of the mycosporine chromophoric system.