Chemical sunscreens in intertidal gastropod egg masses

Abstract

Summary Many marine organisms contain mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), a suite of chemical sunscreens that absorb potentially damaging ultraviolet radiation. No previous study has quantified MAAs in invertebrate larvae from a broad range of species. In this study, intertidal egg masses of varying developmental stages from 44 gastropods were collected from the southeastern Australian coast to determine potential patterns of MAA occurrence. Total MAA concentration did not change as egg masses matured. MAA concentration differed significantly according to gastropod order. Herbivores generally deposited egg masses with more MAAs than carnivores, but spawning habitat and egg mass structure had no effect on total MAA concentration. Furthermore, fewer MAAs occurred in inviable egg masses than viable ones. In capsular egg masses, MAAs existed only in embryos or intracapsular fluid.