“Its spherical form is covered in tiny hooks that trap prey, a clear contrast to the gentle, passive, filter-feeding undertaken by most sponges.”
At 3,600 meters deep near the South Sandwich Islands, researchers found a sponge that hunts. A sponge. It’s covered in hooks and catches prey like a living death trap, which is why they’re calling it a “death ball.” The expedition also filmed the first footage of a juvenile colossal squid and explored seabed exposed when an iceberg the size of Los Angeles calved off Antarctica. We’ve cataloged maybe 10% of ocean life. The deep sea keeps reminding us we don’t know much about our own planet.