Sex pheromone in a marine polychaete: Determination of the chemical structure

Abstract
A sex pheromone of the marine polychaetePlatynereis dumeriliiis chemically characterized as 5‐methyl‐3‐heptanone. There exist two optical isomers, the S(+)‐isomer produced by males and acting on females, the R(−)‐isomer produced by females and acting on males. The basic structure shows a close relationship to insect pheromones and is of interest with regard to the evolution of pheromones.