Niphates digitalis
{{Short description|Species of sponge}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Pink vase sponge
| image = Sponges_in_Caribbean_Sea,_Cayman_Islands.jpg
| image_caption = The pink vase sponge (Niphates digitalis) is seen in the back of the photo, behind three other species of sponges.
| taxon = Niphates digitalis
| authority =(Lamarck, 1814)
| synonyms = {{hidden begin|title = List}}
- Dasychalina cyathina de Laubenfels, 1936
- Gelliodes cyathina (De Laubenfels, 1936)
- Sclerochalina cyathus Schmidt, 1870
- Spongia digitalis Lamarck, 1814
- Tuba crispa Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864*Tuba digitalis, Lamarck, 1814
- Tuba incerta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
- Tuba pavonina Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
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Niphates digitalis, commonly known as the pink vase sponge, is a species of sea sponge belonging to the family Niphatidae. It is native to the Florida Keys, The Bahamas, and the Caribbean including the Netherlands Antilles.{{cite web | url=http://eol.org/pages/338077/details | title=Niphates digitalis | publisher=Encyclopedia of Life | access-date=13 April 2016}} The species was first described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1814.{{cite web | url=http://www.marinespecies.org/porifera/porifera.php?p=taxdetails&id=166775 | title=Niphates digitalis (Lamarck, 1814) | publisher=World Porifera Database | access-date=13 April 2016}}
Characteristics
The pink vase sponge is a demosponge that can grow up to 50 cm in height and width, but is more commonly smaller. It is normally vase-, tube-, or cup-shaped with a narrow base and broader top, and somewhat flattened when viewed in cross section. Rarely, it can grow as a fan shape.{{cite web | url=http://www.portol.org/guide/sp_92.html | title=Niphates digitalis (Lamarck, 1814) Haplosclerida, Niphatidae | publisher=Portol.org | access-date=13 April 2016}} Despite its name, the colour has been observed as blue, gray, and lavender, as well as "purplish to pink". The surface is coarse and porous with 6-mm-long conules or spines.
Chemistry
Compounds extracted from the pink vase sponge have been investigated for their possible use in the treatment of castration recurrent prostate cancer.{{cite journal | title=Niphatenones, glycerol ethers from the sponge Niphates digitalis block androgen receptor transcriptional activity in prostate cancer cells: structure elucidation, synthesis, and biological activity. |vauthors=Meimetis LG, Williams DE, Mawji NR, Banuelos CA, Lal AA, Park JJ, Tien AH, Fernandez JG, de Voogd NJ, Sadar MD, Andersen RJ | journal=J Med Chem | year=2012 | volume=55 | issue=1 | pages=503–14 | doi=10.1021/jm2014056 | pmid=22148427}} A common reagent used in organic chemistry 1,8-diazabicycloundec-7-ene can be isolated from this sponge.{{cite journal | pmc=4778835 | title=Crystal structures of three anhydrous salts of the Lewis base 1,8-di-aza-bicyclo-[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) with the ring-substituted benzoic acid analogues 4-amino-benzoic acid, 3,5-di-nitro-benzoic acid and 3,5-di-nitro-salicylic acid |author1=Smith, Graham |author2=Lynch, Daniel E. |name-list-style=amp | journal=Acta Crystallogr E | year=2016 | volume=72 | issue=3 | pages=382–386 | doi=10.1107/S205698901600267X | pmid=27006813}}