Pigmented marine animal oils

Abstract

In each case after saponification of the elutriated pigments a violet-black acidic substance was isolated almost certainly identical with astacene. In the angler-liver oil a yellow pigment is also present, which in solution shows absorption maxima characteristic of taraxanthin. Since taraxanthin and astacene contain the same no. of C and O atoms, their occurrence together in the angler-liver oil is probably more than a coincidence.