Origin, distribution and environmental significance of perylene in Okinawa Trough since last glaciation maximum

•Relatively high abundance of perylene detected in Okinawa Trough over the past 20kyr.•Correlation of perylene was much stronger with long chain n-alkanes than alkenones.•Substantially different δ13C between perylene and long chain n-alkanes.•Perylene in Okinawa Trough is of a terrigenous origin likely from soil fungi.