Discodermia dissoluta

Discodermia dissoluta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Demospongiae
Order: Tetractinellida
Family: Theonellidae
Genus: Discodermia
Species:
D. dissoluta
Binomial name
Discodermia dissoluta
(Schmidt, 1880)
Synonyms
  • Desmahabana violacea Alcolado & Gotera, 1986

Discodermia dissoluta is a species of deep-water sea sponge found in the Eastern, Southern, and Southwestern Caribbean, as well as in the Greater Antilles. This sponge is of particular interest to bio and organic chemists due to its production of a potent chemical compound called (+)-discodermolide, which has potential therapeutic applications for cancer treatment.