CAROTINOIDS IN INVERTEBRATES 169 



carotinoid-like pigments appear to be widely distributed it might be 

 mentioned that there is no definite evidence that the Coelenterates 

 (sea-anemones, corals, jelly-fish and related animals) contain caro- 

 tinoids, notwithstanding the brilliant colorations which they exhibit. 

 It is true that Merejowsky (1881) listed numerous species containing 

 tetronerythrine, but Krukenbcrg (1882g) disproved this for Gorgonia 

 verrucosa. MacMunn (1890), however, mentioned a lipuchrome re- 

 sembling rhodophane or xanthophane in the red polyp head of the 

 species Tubularia indivisa. Further study is needed of the pigments 

 in this group of animals. 



Carotinoids in Sponges 



The Porifera, or sponges, when fresh show a variety of colors from 

 red to 'green, some of which are quite brilliant, but others dull. The 

 yellow, orange and red colors have been found to be due almost exclu- 

 sively to lipochromes, in the broad sense. There is little doubt that 

 the yellow and orange pigments are true carotinoids. The red pig- 

 ment, however, appears to belong to the carotin-like group of the' 

 same color which is so widely distributed among the lower forms of 

 animal life. 



Krukenbcrg (1880) first discovered the lipochrome nature of the 

 yellow and red pigments of sponges. It was not until he repeated 

 (18821) his first observations, however, and purified his extracts by 

 saponification that a satisfactory separation of the various pigments 

 was obtained. The technic employed was essentially that used by 

 Kiihne in his chromophane studies. The sponges were extracted with 

 alcohol, the extract saponified and the soap salted out with NaCl. 

 This material was then shaken with petroleum ether until no more 

 pigment was extracted. A similar treatment with ether followed, and 

 if any pigment remained the soap was treated with acetic acid and 

 the liberated pigment taken up with CS 2 . It is readily seen that this 

 method would not lead to a 'separation of carotin and xanthophyll. 

 It did serve, however, to separate distinctly carotinoid-like pigments 

 in most cases from the rhodophane-like chromolipoids showing only a 

 single absorption band. In general the petroleum ether extracts 

 showed two absorption bands, and the residues left on evaporation 

 gave the characteristic color reactions with concentrated acids. The 

 bands pictured by Krukenberg in some cases indicate carotin, such 



