The bright yellow sponge Isodictya erinacea is one of several chemically defended sponges found on the benthos of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. An investigation of the metabolites from this sponge has resulted in the isolation of purine and nucleoside metabolites, including the previously unreported erinacean (1) and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The latter metabolite has been demonstrated to cause a feeding deterrence behavior in Perknaster fuscus, the major predator of antarctic sponges.
