Meet the Meat-Eating Sponge

This meat-eating sponge is called the harp sponge, a name that becomes self-explanatory after you see its image (it resembles a turned-over harp). It is an extraordinary species of carnivorous sponges, which were first found to exist around two decades ago.

The unique sponge was discovered in 2000 off the coast of California by a team of scientists from the Monterey Bay Research Aquarium Institute. The sponge resides in soft-muddy sediment in the deep sea, located 2 miles under the ocean’s surface.

So how exactly is it structured and how does it eat? Well at the bottom of the sponge are root-like “rhizoids,” which allow it to anchor to the soft sediment.

The vertical branches are then the animal’s limbs, on them which are barbed hooks. It is through this structure that the sponge catches it’s prey and eats. It catches crustaceans swept from the ocean floor through its hooks, which are then enveloped in a membrane and digested.

The tiny balls you see at the top of each branch are terminal balls, which is where sperm is produced and released.

View the above video to learn more about the sponge’s reproductive system.

This carnivorous sponge is found at depths of 10,000 feet & is called the Harp Sponge ! pic.twitter.com/lVKGiv9wHH

— Ocean 180 (@ocean180video) December 26, 2015