About Erythropodium caribaeorum (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860)
Erythropodium caribaeorum, commonly called the encrusting gorgonian or encrusting polyps, is a species of soft coral that belongs to the monotypic family Erythropodiidae. This species was formerly classified under the subfamily Erythropodiinae of the family Anthothelidae. It lives on coral reefs and rocky substrates in the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Florida, growing at depths ranging from 0.5 to 25 metres. E. caribaeorum is of interest for drug discovery research, as it produces eleutherobin, a diterpene glycoside that has potential anticancer activity.
