Mediatori chimici nelle comunicazioni inter ed intra-specifiche di molluschi opistobranchi del Mediterraneo

This thesis reports some selected researches on the defensive behavior and mutual relationships of some Mediterranean opistobranchs mollusks which were developed on chemical basis at the Istituto per la Chimica di Molecole di Interesse Biologico of the CNR Arco Felice (Naples) during the last ten years. Through the study of opistobranch secondary metabolites it was possible to characterize the interactions between these mollusks and their preys. Throug the isolation and characterization of some defensive allomones it was possible to identify their origin, either from diet or de novo biosynthesized. Alarm pheromones secreted by Cephalaspidea opisobranchs in order to preserve the species have also been isolated.