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The first chemical study of an Actinocyclidae nudibranch, Actinocyclus papillatus, resulted in the isolation of (−)-actisonitrile (1), a lipid based on a 1,3-propanediol ether skeleton. The structure was established by spectroscopic methods, whereas the absolute configuration of the chiral center was determined by comparing the optical properties of natural actisonitrile with those of ()- and (−)-synthetic enantiomers, opportunely prepared. Both (−)- and ()-actisonitrile were tested in preliminary in vitro cytotoxicity bioassays on tumor and nontumor mammalian cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]