Discodermia

Discodermia is a genus of deep-water sea sponge.

Species

The following species are accepted within Discodermia:

Discodermia adhaerens Van Soest, Meesters & Becking, 2014
Discodermia arbor Carvalho & Xavier, 2020
Discodermia aspera Carter, 1880
Discodermia calyx Döderlein, 1884
Discodermia claviformis Kieschnick, 1896
Discodermia discifera
Discodermia discifurca Sollas, 1888
Discodermia dissoluta Schmidt, 1880
Discodermia dubia Vacelet & Vasseur, 1971
Discodermia emarginata Dendy, 1905
Discodermia gorgonoides Burton, 1928
Discodermia inscripta
Discodermia interspersa Kumar, 1925
Discodermia irregularis Hoshino, 1976
Discodermia japonica Döderlein, 1884
Discodermia jogashima Tanita & Hoshino, 1989
Discodermia kellyae Carvalho & Xavier, 2020
Discodermia kiiensis Hoshino, 1977
Discodermia koreana Sim, 1982
Discodermia laevidiscus Carter, 1880
Discodermia natalensis Kirkpatrick, 1903
Discodermia ornata Sollas, 1888
Discodermia panoplia Sollas, 1888
Discodermia papillata Carter, 1880
Discodermia polydiscus
Discodermia polymorpha Pisera & Vacelet, 2011
Discodermia proliferans Lévi & Lévi, 1983
Discodermia ramifera Topsent, 1892
Discodermia sinuosa Carter, 1881
Discodermia stylifera Keller, 1891
Discodermia tuberosa Dendy, 1922
Discodermia vermicularis Döderlein, 1884
Discodermia verrucosa Topsent, 1928
Pharmacology

D. dissoluta is of interest to bio and organic chemists because it produces -discodermolide, a polyketide natural product with immunosuppressive and cancer killing properties.
Antimicrobial/anticancer peptides called discodermins have been isolated from D. kiiensis.