The distribution of homarine in the tissues of marine invertebrates, such as molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderm, was studied by polarography. The amount of homarine varied considerably with species and tissues; the maximum value of 400mg/100g (on a wet weight basis) was found in the liver of top-shell, while homarine was not detected in the crustacean, Procambarus clarki, or in the muscle of the sea cucumber, Stichopus japonicus.
The seasonal variation of homarine in the muscle and liver of top-shell and abalones was investigated. In the case of top-shell, an increase of homarine was observed in July, followed by a decrease during the winter months. In the abalones, muscle homarine content was higher in September than in May, whereas that liver showed the opposite tendency.