About Palythoa mutuki (Haddon & Shackleton, 1891)
Palythoa mutuki, formally described by Haddon & Shackleton in 1891, is a species of zoanthid. It is generally found in the Indo-Pacific region, and is also common off the west coast of South America. This species occurs at depths between 0 and 28 meters, and can be found in both intertidal zones and full marine environments. It hosts a higher diversity of associated species than Zoanthus sansibaricus, another zoanthid that occupies a similar ecological niche. Recent research has found that several compounds isolated from the ethanolic extract of Palythoa mutuki show strong antiviral activity against the dengue virus, a property that may one day contribute to the development of a cure for dengue disease.
