A Carnivorous 'Death Ball' Has Emerged from the Deep
10 days ago
- #deep-sea exploration
- #new species
- #marine biology
- Most sponges are filter feeders, but Cladorhizidae sponges are carnivorous.
- A new carnivorous sponge species, nicknamed 'death-ball sponge,' has appendages with orbs covered in micro-hooks to capture prey.
- The 'death-ball sponge' was discovered at a depth of 11,814 feet in the South Sandwich Trench near Antarctica.
- Carnivorous sponges were unknown until the mid-'90s when Abestopluma hypogea was discovered in a French cave.
- The discovery was made by researchers from The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census using advanced deep-sea exploration tools.
- The expedition has collected 2,000 specimens from 14 phyla, including potential new species like iridescent worms and black corals.
- Specimens are analyzed using morphology, genetics, and DNA barcoding to confirm if they are new species.
- Only 30% of collected samples have been assessed, revealing 30 new species, indicating vast undocumented biodiversity.
- Other carnivorous sponges include the harp sponge and ping-pong tree sponge, which also have unique prey-capturing adaptations.
- These discoveries could expand our understanding of deep-sea ecosystems and biodiversity.