Threats


Bioprospecting poses a potential threat to dotted nudibranchs. Jorumycin, which is a secondary metabolite produced by J. funebris (see Molecular Biology and Chemistry), is a dimeric isoquinoline alkaloid with cytotoxc properties against tumor cell lines (Fontana et al. 2000, Fontana et al. 2001, Charupant at al. 2007). 

Human society has a lot to gain from a new remedy for cancer sufferers, and if extraction processes continue to be refined, jorumycin presents a potential low cost and effective way to kill human cancer cells. If jorumycin is to become a viable option for cancer remediation, it is likely that dotted nudibranch populations will suffer from additional anthropogenic pressure.

Consequently, J. funebris populations will need to be monitored and, if required, managed to ensure the persistence of the species.