About Xestospongia testudinaria (Lamarck, 1815)
Xestospongia testudinaria (Lamarck, 1815) individuals are colored maroon to pink, with a pale white opening at the barrel. Specimens of this species often emerge from what appears to be a shared common base. In intertidal zones, this species reaches 10 to 20 cm in diameter and grows to around 10 to 20 cm tall. A bioactive peptide made of 13 amino acids, with the sequence KENPVLSLVNGMF, has been identified from this species. This peptide is selectively toxic to human cervical cancer HeLa cells, but is not toxic to the non-cancerous human embryonic kidney HEK 293 cell line. This species is distributed in the Philippines, Australia, the western and central Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Malaya, and New Caledonia. These sponges are sessile filter feeders that play a very important role in their ecosystem. Giant barrel sponges of this species filter a large amount of water over their lifespan, with some individuals living up to 2000 years. This filtration increases water clarity, controls algae populations, and impacts coral populations. These sponges also provide habitat for many other species, including other invertebrates, benthic fish, bacteria, and cyanobacteria.
