''Chondrilla nucula'', sometimes called the Caribbean chicken-liver sponge, is a species of

sea sponge Sponges or sea sponges are primarily marine invertebrates of the animal phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), a basal clade and a sister taxon of the diploblasts. They are sessile filter feeders that are bound to the seabed, and are o ...

belonging to the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Chondrillidae. It is an amorphous shaped sponge that grows in flat, sometimes bulbous sheets in benthic communities. It is sometimes found in marginal, stressful systems such as caves. Such sponges are white, lacking access to sunlight, and photosymbionts. It is known to be preyed upon by the

hawksbill turtle The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution that is largely ...

, '' Eretmochelys imbricata''. This sponge has been found to contain strains of bacteria that contained antimicrobial properties. These properties have been shown to inhibit certain bacteria which are harmful to human including ''Staphylococcus aureus.''

References

* Tetractinomorpha Sponges of Brazil Taxa named by Eduard Oscar Schmidt Animals described in 1862 {{sponge-stub