Dysidea arenaria

D. arenaria was originally identified in the Palau Islands^[3] and specimens have since been collected from a variety of locations in the Pacific.^[5][6] Along with other members of the genus, D. arenaria was listed as a rare invasive species found in Hawaii in a 2008 NOAA memorandum.^[7]: 39

Numerous secondary metabolite molecules found in D. arenaria have been reported in the scientific literature, often with an interest in their bioactivity. For example, members of a class of cytotoxic molecules known as cryptophycins, originally isolated from cyanobacteria, have also been found in D. arenaria, where they were given the name arenastatins.^[8] However, since cyanobacteria are common symbionts of sponges, it has been suggested that bacteria may be the true origin in cases where sponge and bacterial metabolites closely resemble one another.^[9]

A series of sesquiterpenoid hydroquinones have also been isolated from D. arenaria,^[10] among which are two unusual examples with distinctive enantiomers of their drimane molecular skeleton.^[11] A sterol isolated from the species was reported as a rare example of a molecule capable of reversing multidrug efflux-mediated fungal resistance to the drug fluconazole.^[12]