Ectocarpene is a sexual attractant, or pheromone, found with several species of brown algae (Phaeophyceae). The substance has a fruity scent and can be sensed by humans when millions of algae gametes swarm the seawater and the females start emitting the substance to attract the male gametes.
Ectocarpene was the first isolated algal pheromone. It was isolated from algae Ectocarpus (order Ectocarpales) by Müller and col. in 1971. More recent studies have shown that a pre-ectocarpene compound may be responsible for actual attraction of the male gametes.
All the double bonds are cis and the absolute configuration of the stereocenter is (R).