NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Info
Dysidea etheria de Laubenfels, 1936
Description: Dysidea etheria is a heavily crusted and partially erect sponge with the following dimensions: up to 8 x 5 x 2 cm,
The consistency of the sponge is soft spongy, very compressible, flabby, weak and easily torn.
Color: Gray on the outside, bright blue, light blue to brown on the inside
Habitat: The sponge is found in bays and lagoons in grass beds and on reefs in areas with high sediment loads. Dysidea etheria occurs in lagoons on loose sediment attached to algae or turtle grass blades, Thalassia testudinum (Wiedenmayer 1977). This species can also be found on rocky bottom areas or over organisms such as hard corals or other sponges.
Although the chemicals produced by Dysidea etheria serve as a defense against many predators (Waddell & Pawlik 2000), some organisms have been observed to prey on the sponge. These predators include the sea star Echinaster echinophorus and especially Hypselodoris nudibranchs (Grode & Cardellina 1984).
Like many other species of marine sponges, the sponge produces chemical metabolites that are isolated, identified, and studied for potential antifouling and/or pharmaceutical applications (B. Cardellina 1986, Boukouvalas et al. 1998).
In addition to Dysidea etheria, there are several other species of sponges. However, the ethereal sponge appears to have a competitive advantage over other sponges and is rarely overgrown by its neighbors (Engel & Pawlik 2005).
Description: Dysidea etheria is a heavily crusted and partially erect sponge with the following dimensions: up to 8 x 5 x 2 cm,
The consistency of the sponge is soft spongy, very compressible, flabby, weak and easily torn.
Color: Gray on the outside, bright blue, light blue to brown on the inside
Habitat: The sponge is found in bays and lagoons in grass beds and on reefs in areas with high sediment loads. Dysidea etheria occurs in lagoons on loose sediment attached to algae or turtle grass blades, Thalassia testudinum (Wiedenmayer 1977). This species can also be found on rocky bottom areas or over organisms such as hard corals or other sponges.
Although the chemicals produced by Dysidea etheria serve as a defense against many predators (Waddell & Pawlik 2000), some organisms have been observed to prey on the sponge. These predators include the sea star Echinaster echinophorus and especially Hypselodoris nudibranchs (Grode & Cardellina 1984).
Like many other species of marine sponges, the sponge produces chemical metabolites that are isolated, identified, and studied for potential antifouling and/or pharmaceutical applications (B. Cardellina 1986, Boukouvalas et al. 1998).
In addition to Dysidea etheria, there are several other species of sponges. However, the ethereal sponge appears to have a competitive advantage over other sponges and is rarely overgrown by its neighbors (Engel & Pawlik 2005).
