Chondrilla nucula

Chondrilla nucula
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Porifera
Class:	Demospongiae
Family:	Chondrillidae
Genus:	Chondrilla
Species:	C. nucula
Binomial name
Chondrilla nucula Schmidt, 1862
Synonyms
Chondrilla embolophora Schmidt, 1862

Chondrilla nucula, sometimes called the Caribbean chicken-liver sponge, is a species of sea sponge belonging to the family Chondrillidae.

It is an amorphous shaped sponge that grows in flat, sometimes bulbous sheets in benthic communities. It is sometimes found in marginal, stressful systems such as caves. Such sponges are white, lacking access to sunlight, and photosymbionts. It is known to be preyed upon by the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata.

The chondrilla nucula species has experienced changes and differences in its morphology over the course of its life, but it is still the same species with similar morphotypes despite these changes and differences.

This sponge has been found to contain strains of bacteria that contained antimicrobial properties. These properties have been shown to inhibit certain bacteria which are harmful to human including Staphylococcus aureus.

References

• Duran, Sandra; Rützler, Klaus (2006-07-01). "Ecological speciation in a Caribbean marine sponge". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 40 (1): 292–297. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.02.018. ISSN 1055-7903.