Laboratory adaptation of life cycle of Hymeniacidon perlevis explants cultured in aquarium

Sponges (Porifera) are the best source of marine natural products discovered so far, with great potential pharmaceutical applications. However, the supply of sponge biomass for industrial applications is extremely limited from wild stocks and the mass cultivation of many sponge species are not yet available (Hausmann et al., 2006). As part of our on-going research program of developing artificial controlled cultivation of sponges, this study aims to adapt the life cycle of naturally grown sponge explants of an intertidal demospongia Hymeniacidon perlevis under controlled laboratory conditions. Marine sponge H. perlevis grown in China Yellow Sea, Dalian, China has a distinctive annual life cycle with most sponges in the dormancy stage inMarch each year.When the dormant sponge explants in field were transferred to a 12-L laboratory aquarium at higher temperature of 18–20 ◦C with frequent exchange of fresh seawater, the explants recovered and demonstrated a significant growth in both size and weight over 20 days. Furthermore, the effects of water flow and food on survival and growth of explants were tested, as measured by the morphological changes of explants (photographic methods). The survival and growth rate became higher when fed with a marine microalgae Isochrysis zhanjiangensis. The preliminary results indicate the possibility and potential to manipulate the natural life cycle of sponge H. perlevis under artificial controlled conditions