In the Mediterranean Sea, the two sponges of the genus Aplysina (A. aerophoba and A. cavernicola) are identified on the basis of their external morphology and the environment in which they live. During a research program on the sponge fauna in semi-submerged

Aplysina aerophoba, Nardo 1886 is a common and well examined demosponge in the Mediterranean Sea. For sponges, as sessile, inner filter feeders, the most important function is pumping water through their canal system. This flow through is actively generated,

Aplysina Aerophoba is one of the most representative sponge species of the Mediterranean, while it is considered an indigenous species of the basin. Its importance lies not only in the fact that it is a main species of the benthic fauna, but many biomolecules

Sponge-associated bacteria possess biotechnologically interesting properties but as yet have largely evaded cultivation. Thus, "omics"-based information on the ecology and functional potential of sponge symbionts is awaiting its integration into the design

Marine demosponges of the Verongiida order are considered a gold-mine for bioinspired materials science and marine pharmacology. The aim of this work was to simultaneously isolate selected bromotyrosines and unique chitinous structures from A. aerophoba