Halichondria


Halichondria is a genus of sea sponges belonging to the family Halichondriidae.
These are massive, amorphous sponges with clearly separated inner and outer skeletons consisting of bundles of spicules arranged in a seemingly random pattern.
This genus of sponges became important through the discovery of cell division limiting properties of the extract Halichondrin B, which inhibits cell mitosis. The drug Eribulin, a related compound and an inhibitor of microtubule function, has become an important chemotherapy treatment for certain types of cancer.

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Halichondria:
  • Subgenus Eumastia Schmidt, 1870
  • * Halichondria attenuata
  • * Halichondria maraensis Kim & Sim, 2009
  • * Halichondria schmidti Dendy, 1895
  • * Halichondria sitiens
  • Subgenus Halichondria Fleming, 1828
  • * Halichondria adelpha de Laubenfels, 1954
  • * Halichondria agglomerans Cabioch, 1968
  • * Halichondria aldabrensis Lévi, 1961
  • * Halichondria almae
  • * Halichondria arenacea Dendy, 1895
  • * Halichondria arenosa Hentschel, 1929
  • * Halichondria axinelloides Swartschewsky, 1906
  • * Halichondria bowerbanki Burton, 1930
  • * Halichondria brondstedi De Laubenfels, 1936
  • * Halichondria brunnea
  • * Halichondria cancellosa
  • * Halichondria capensis Samaai & Gibbons, 2005
  • * Halichondria carotenoidea Alvarez & Hooper, 2011
  • * Halichondria cartilaginea
  • * Halichondria cebimarensis Carvalho & Hajdu, 2001
  • * Halichondria coerulea Bergquist, 1967
  • * Halichondria colossea Lundbeck, 1902
  • * Halichondria contorta
  • * Halichondria convolvens Sarà, 1960
  • * Halichondria cornuloides Burton, 1954
  • * Halichondria cristata Sarà, 1978
  • * Halichondria cylindrata Tanita & Hoshino, 1989
  • * Halichondria darwinensis Hooper, Cook, Hobbs & Kennedy, 1997
  • * Halichondria diazae Van Soest & Hooper, 2020
  • * Halichondria diversispiculata Burton, 1930
  • * Halichondria dubia
  • * Halichondria elenae Gastaldi, De Paula, Narvarte, Lôbo-Hajdu & Hajdu, 2018
  • * Halichondria fallax
  • * Halichondria flexuosa
  • * Halichondria foetida
  • * Halichondria foraminosa
  • * Halichondria fragilis Kieschnick, 1896
  • * Halichondria gageoenesis Kang & Sim, 2008
  • * Halichondria genitrix
  • * Halichondria gilvus Samaai & Gibbons, 2005
  • * Halichondria glabrata Keller, 1891
  • * Halichondria heterorrhaphis Breitfuss, 1912
  • * Halichondria intermedia Brøndsted, 1924
  • * Halichondria isthmica
  • * Halichondria japonica
  • * Halichondria knowltoni Bergquist, 1961
  • * Halichondria labiata Hentschel, 1929
  • * Halichondria lambei Brøndsted, 1933
  • * Halichondria lendenfeldi Lévi, 1961
  • * Halichondria leuconoides Topsent, 1890
  • * Halichondria longispicula
  • * Halichondria lutea Alcolado, 1984
  • * Halichondria magniconulosa Hechtel, 1965
  • * Halichondria marianae Santos, Nascimento & Pinheiro, 2018
  • * Halichondria melanadocia Laubenfels, 1936
  • * Halichondria membranacea
  • * Halichondria microbiana Alvarez & Hooper, 1911
  • * Halichondria migottea Carvalho & Hajdu, 2001
  • * Halichondria minuta Keller, 1891
  • * Halichondria modesta
  • * Halichondria moorei Bergquist, 1961
  • * Halichondria muanensis Kang & Sim, 2008
  • * Halichondria nigrocutis
  • * Halichondria normani Burton, 1930
  • * Halichondria oblonga
  • * Halichondria okadai
  • * Halichondria osculum Lundbeck, 1902
  • * Halichondria oshoro Tanita, 1961
  • * Halichondria oxiparva
  • * Halichondria panicea
  • * Halichondria papillaris
  • * Halichondria pelliculata Ridley & Dendy, 1886
  • * Halichondria phakellioides Dendy & Frederick, 1924
  • * Halichondria poa
  • * Halichondria pontica
  • * Halichondria prostrata Thiele, 1905
  • * Halichondria punctata Bergquist, 1970
  • * Halichondria renieroides
  • * Halichondria semitubulosa
  • * Halichondria solidior
  • * Halichondria stylata Diaz, Pomponi & Van Soest, 1993
  • * Halichondria suberosa
  • * Halichondria sulfurea Carvalho & Hajdu, 2001
  • * Halichondria surrubicunda Hoshino, 1981
  • * Halichondria syringea Pulitzer-Finali, 1996
  • * Halichondria tenebrica Carvalho & Hajdu, 2001
  • * Halichondria tenuiramosa Dendy, 1922
  • * Halichondria tenuispiculata Brøndsted, 1916
  • * Halichondria turritella
  • * Halichondria velamentosa
  • Subgenus unassigned
  • * Halichondria albescens sensu Johnston, 1842
  • * Halichondria flava
  • * Halichondria hongdoenesis Kang & Sim, 2008
  • * Halichondria kelleri Van Soest & Hooper, 2020
  • * Halichondria lona Laubenfels, 1936
  • * Halichondria magellanica Dendy, 1924
  • * Halichondria ulleungensis Kang & Sim, 2008