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Science 16 September 1983:
Vol. 221. no. 4616, pp. 1175 - 1176
DOI: 10.1126/science.221.4616.1175
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Articles

Siphonodictidine, a Metabolite of the Burrowing Sponge Siphonodictyon sp. That Inhibits Coral Growth

BRIAN SULLIVAN 1, D. JOHN FAULKNER 1, and LEITH WEBB 2

1 Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California 92093
2 James Cook University of North Queensland, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia

Siphonodictidine is the major secondary metabolite of an undescribed Indo-Pacific sponge Siphonodictyon sp. that burrows into living coral heads. The structure of siphonodictidine was determined from spectral data. Laboratory bioassays suggest that siphonodictidine and, by analogy, the siphonodictyals from S. coralliphagum are responsible for maintaining zones of dead coral polyps around the oscular chimneys of these sponges.

Submitted on February 2, 1983
Revised on May 13, 1983

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)