Dysidea etheria | |
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A preserved specimen from the Caribbean | |
Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Porifera |
Class: | Demospongiae |
Order: | Dictyoceratida |
Family: | Dysideidae |
Genus: | Dysidea |
Species: | D. etheria
|
Binomial name | |
Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936
|
Dysidea etheria, commonly known as the ethereal sponge or heavenly sponge, is a species of lobate sponge within the class Demospongiae. [1] This marine sponge is known for its light blue color and can be found in the Caribbean as well as off the coasts of Florida and Georgia. [2] Like all other poriferans, D. etheria is capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction. [3] The use of spicule collection as well as chemical defenses allows D. etheria to protect itself against predators such as the zebra doris and the orange knobby star. [4] [5] D. etheria is also known as a host species of the invasive brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis. [6] Lastly, various molecular biology studies have utilized D. etheria to both study foreign particle transport in sponges and to isolate novel molecules. [7] [8] [9]
The specific epithet "etheria" was given to this species of sponge by Laubenfels upon its discovery in the Dry Tortugas in 1936 due to its sky-blue color. [10]
Dysidea etheria is a species of lobate sponge that are massive and semi-incrusting. [1] They are identifiable by their internal and external light blue coloration. [1] The exopinacoderm has also been observed to be colored a brownish grey. [1]
The shaping of the sponge's lobes have been described as elongated, digitated, or lamellar. [1] The size of D. etheria can range from ten to fifteen centimeters in width and four to seven centimeters in height. [1] The diameter of the sponge's lobes have been observed to range from two to four centimeters. [1]
The sponge's oscula, ranging from five to ten millimeters in width, are typically found on the tops of its lobes. [1] The oscula also have a transparent iris-membrane, and the oscular membrane openings have occasionally been observed to be compound. [1] One millimeter high sharp conules make up the surface of the sponge and are spaced three millimeters apart. [1]
D. etheria has a thin exopinacoderm and a flesh-like choanosome. [1] The sponge also has an irregular skeleton which is loosely fibroreticular. Calcareous debris is contained within the white fibers with which the skeleton is made up of. [1]
Found within marine environments of depths reaching up to 40 meters, D. etheria inhabits bays and lagoons. [11] This species has been spotted on a variety of natural and manmade substrates. A majority of such substrates are known to be hard and vertical, such as on docks or pilings. [11] Another manmade substrate is the hull of a concrete ship where D. etheria was seen on a scleractinian. [1] As for natural substrates, D. etheria has been seen on rocks, turtle grass blades, mangrove roots, mollusk and crab shells, coral skeletons, algae, and even other sponges. [1] [11]
D. etheria is known to be distributed across the Caribbean as well as off the coasts of Florida and Georgia. [2]
Both sexual and asexual reproduction are utilized by poriferans. [3] Sponges are hermaphroditic when sexual reproduction occurs, utilizing different timing of sperm and egg production. [12] D. etheria asexually reproduce through fragmentation. [3] [12] The totipotent abilities of sponge cells allows for fragments of the sponge to regrow into a new sponge. [3] [4]
The nudibranch Felimare zebra, and the sea star Echinaster echinophorus have both been spotted preying on D. etheria. [5]
Through the collection and storage of spicule fragments within the mesohyl, D. etheria is capable of deterring predators. [4] [13] The production of toxins is also believed to act as a defense against predators. [5] Chemical extracts from D. etheria have been shown to be deterrents to generalist reef fishes, hermit crabs, and sea stars. [14]
D. etheria is registered as one of many host species of the invasive brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis. [6] Utilizing a host species is believed to protect O. mirabilis from predation and allow for new environments to be colonized more easily. [6]
D. etheria was the first recorded sponge to have plant growth regulatory indoles isolated from it. [7] The plant growth regulator, indole-3-acetamide, promotes the growth of roots in lettuce seedlings. [7]
A new protein phosphatase inhibitor, named dysidiolide, was also isolated from D. etheria. [8]
D. etheria has also been utilized in research to understand how sponges transport foreign particles to specific locations within their bodies. [9] Mesohyl cells have been observed to migrate in a coordinated fashion that allows for organized transport of particles. [9]
Dysidea etheria | |
---|---|
![]() | |
A preserved specimen from the Caribbean | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Porifera |
Class: | Demospongiae |
Order: | Dictyoceratida |
Family: | Dysideidae |
Genus: | Dysidea |
Species: | D. etheria
|
Binomial name | |
Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936
|
Dysidea etheria, commonly known as the ethereal sponge or heavenly sponge, is a species of lobate sponge within the class Demospongiae. [1] This marine sponge is known for its light blue color and can be found in the Caribbean as well as off the coasts of Florida and Georgia. [2] Like all other poriferans, D. etheria is capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction. [3] The use of spicule collection as well as chemical defenses allows D. etheria to protect itself against predators such as the zebra doris and the orange knobby star. [4] [5] D. etheria is also known as a host species of the invasive brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis. [6] Lastly, various molecular biology studies have utilized D. etheria to both study foreign particle transport in sponges and to isolate novel molecules. [7] [8] [9]
The specific epithet "etheria" was given to this species of sponge by Laubenfels upon its discovery in the Dry Tortugas in 1936 due to its sky-blue color. [10]
Dysidea etheria is a species of lobate sponge that are massive and semi-incrusting. [1] They are identifiable by their internal and external light blue coloration. [1] The exopinacoderm has also been observed to be colored a brownish grey. [1]
The shaping of the sponge's lobes have been described as elongated, digitated, or lamellar. [1] The size of D. etheria can range from ten to fifteen centimeters in width and four to seven centimeters in height. [1] The diameter of the sponge's lobes have been observed to range from two to four centimeters. [1]
The sponge's oscula, ranging from five to ten millimeters in width, are typically found on the tops of its lobes. [1] The oscula also have a transparent iris-membrane, and the oscular membrane openings have occasionally been observed to be compound. [1] One millimeter high sharp conules make up the surface of the sponge and are spaced three millimeters apart. [1]
D. etheria has a thin exopinacoderm and a flesh-like choanosome. [1] The sponge also has an irregular skeleton which is loosely fibroreticular. Calcareous debris is contained within the white fibers with which the skeleton is made up of. [1]
Found within marine environments of depths reaching up to 40 meters, D. etheria inhabits bays and lagoons. [11] This species has been spotted on a variety of natural and manmade substrates. A majority of such substrates are known to be hard and vertical, such as on docks or pilings. [11] Another manmade substrate is the hull of a concrete ship where D. etheria was seen on a scleractinian. [1] As for natural substrates, D. etheria has been seen on rocks, turtle grass blades, mangrove roots, mollusk and crab shells, coral skeletons, algae, and even other sponges. [1] [11]
D. etheria is known to be distributed across the Caribbean as well as off the coasts of Florida and Georgia. [2]
Both sexual and asexual reproduction are utilized by poriferans. [3] Sponges are hermaphroditic when sexual reproduction occurs, utilizing different timing of sperm and egg production. [12] D. etheria asexually reproduce through fragmentation. [3] [12] The totipotent abilities of sponge cells allows for fragments of the sponge to regrow into a new sponge. [3] [4]
The nudibranch Felimare zebra, and the sea star Echinaster echinophorus have both been spotted preying on D. etheria. [5]
Through the collection and storage of spicule fragments within the mesohyl, D. etheria is capable of deterring predators. [4] [13] The production of toxins is also believed to act as a defense against predators. [5] Chemical extracts from D. etheria have been shown to be deterrents to generalist reef fishes, hermit crabs, and sea stars. [14]
D. etheria is registered as one of many host species of the invasive brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis. [6] Utilizing a host species is believed to protect O. mirabilis from predation and allow for new environments to be colonized more easily. [6]
D. etheria was the first recorded sponge to have plant growth regulatory indoles isolated from it. [7] The plant growth regulator, indole-3-acetamide, promotes the growth of roots in lettuce seedlings. [7]
A new protein phosphatase inhibitor, named dysidiolide, was also isolated from D. etheria. [8]
D. etheria has also been utilized in research to understand how sponges transport foreign particles to specific locations within their bodies. [9] Mesohyl cells have been observed to migrate in a coordinated fashion that allows for organized transport of particles. [9]