Partial purification and characterization of post‐larval lobster (Homarus americanus) feeding attractants from herring (Clupea harengus) tissue

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Abstract
A behavioral bioassay, which tests the food‐search response of up to 100 post‐larval lobsters (Homarus americanus) (40–200 mg) within two hours, was developed to screen chemical fractions of herring tissue (Clupea harengus) leachates for attractants. Complete removal of protein and other large molecules of low to intermediate polarity was achieved by a two step process involving cold methanol precipitation and preparative adsorption chromatography using Sm 7 Biobeads (Bio‐Rad). Complete removal of protein with retention of primary amines, amino acids, nucleotides, nucleosides, organic acids, and other polar compounds of low molecular weight had no effect on attractiveness as expressed by total amine concentration necessary to elicit response in 50% of lobsters (EC50) or direct comparison of responses to equimolar (total amines) solutions of tissue fractions prepared. Similarly, increasing the concentration of amino acids in herring homogenate by incubating the homogenate with a nonspecific protease appeared to increase attractiveness. Post‐larval and adult lobsters appear to respond to the same class of chemical stimuli.

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