Chemistry of Verongida Sponges, IV. Comparison of the Secondary Metabolite Composition of Several Specimens of Pseudoceratina crassa

Caribbean specimens of a sponge possessing the morphological characters of Pseudoceratina crassa have been analyzed. They were shown to contain a number of known brominated metabolites and three novel compounds (13-15), whose structures have been determined on the basis of spectral data. The results obtained have been discussed in the context of either the possible existence of another species of Pseudoceratina not morphologically distinguishable from P, crassa or, alternatively, the existence of strains P, crassa with slight genetic differences.