Jim McMahon/Mapman®
It lives near the bottom of the globe, more than 2 miles underwater. It’s covered in tiny hooks and rods attached to what look like Ping-Pong balls. Meet the “death-ball” sponge.
Scientists announced the discovery of the mysterious creature last fall. It had been spotted on the floor of the Southern Ocean, near Antarctica.
“It was just a beautiful thing to see and so unusual,” says Michelle Taylor. She was the chief scientist on the expedition that found the strange sponge.
Sponges are simple animals that don’t have eyes, a mouth, or organs. Unlike most sponges, the death-ball is a carnivore, feasting on tiny shrimplike creatures. The sponge’s sharp hooks act like Velcro, sticking to prey. The sponge then spends months slowly absorbing the animal into its body and squeezing out all the nutrients.
“It’s disgusting!” Taylor says.