Abstract: To study the chemical constituents and their antifouling activity from two gorgonian Anthogorgia caerulea and Menella kanisa were isolated from Beibu gulf,Guangxi.Seven compounds were purified by means of chromatographic techniques and their structures were identified on the basis of spectral features,which were identified respectively as N-［(1-hydroxymethyl)-2-hydroxy-3,6-heptadecadienyl］-hexadecanamide (1),dipropyl phthalate (2),3-(2-phenylethyl) phenol (3),methyl ester of p-methoxybenzoicacid (4),dihexyl phthalate(5)，cornoside (6),inosine (7).1 was a new compound,and others were isolated from Menella kanisa and Anthogorgia caerulea for the first time,respectively.Antifouling activity was performed by the antilarval (cyprids of barnacle Balanus amphitrite) settlement bioassay.All compounds with exception of 3 and 7 showed significant antifouling activity against the barnacle larvae.Especially,N-［(1-hydroxymethyl)-2-hydroxy-3,6-heptadecadienyl］-hexadecanamide and cornoside were better potent antifouling metabolites with EC₅₀ values of 8.72 and 6.89 μg /mL,respectively.

Key words: gorgonian, metabolites, antifouling, barnacle