Composition en stérols de quatre zoanthaires du genre Palythoa de la presqu-île du Cap-Vert

The sterol composition of four Palythoa species was determined. The isolated Zooxanthellae show the same sterol composition as the host-symbiot association. Campesterol (and/or dihydrobrassicasterol) is the major sterol of P. dartevellei, P. monodi and P. senegalensis, 24-methylene cholesterol that of P. variabilis. These results confirm that the genus Palythoa may be divided into two sub-groups regarding the structure of the major 3β-hydroxysterol. © 1986.