The antifouling activity of some juvenoids on three species of acorn barnacle, Balanus

Analogues of insect juvenile hormones (juvenoids) have been tested for settling inhibition of cyprids from three species of barnacle, Balanus balanoides (L.), Balanus improvisus Darwin and Balanus amphitrite Darwin. Some 3-alkoxypyridine derivatives exhibited strong activity at mg litre(-1) concentrations; 3,7-dimethyloctyl 2methyl-5-pyridyl ether (8) gave an EC50 of 0.006 mg litre(-1) when tested on B. balanoides. When compound 8 and similar juvenoids were incorporated into paints, test panels kept in seawater for 8 months were free of barnacles. (c) 2006 Society of Chemical Industry.