Evidence of a chemical defence mechanism in the echiuran worm Bonellia viridis Rolando (Echiura : Bonelliidae)

Abstract

Evidence for the existence of chemical defence in the echiuran Bonellia viridis is provided by investigating the palatability of Bonellia tissues to the shrimp Palaemon elegans, the teleosts Oblada melanura and Mugil labeo, and the anthozoan Anemonia sulcata. Bonellia tissues are shown to be highly distasteful to the shrimp. The results with the teleosts and the anthozoan are less clear-cut though Bonellia extracts are shown to be distasteful also to these species.