Phytosphingosine is a characteristic component of the glycolipids in the vertebrate intestine.

Sphingoids in the intestinal lipids of an agnatha, a chondrichthyes, two osteichthyes, three amphibia, three reptiles and two avian species were analyzed by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. The glycolipid fraction of all the samples studied contained 4-D-hydroxysphinganine as the major component together with sphingosine and sphinganine. While the trihydroxy base was not found in their sphingomyelin fraction. The trihydroxy base was considered to be a characteristic component of the intestinal glycolipids for the vertebrates in general. Its concentration in the intestinal tissue had little correlation with the food habitat of the animals.