Photo: NOAA/Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute · Image source ·Public domain
Animal profile · Other aquatic life · glass sponge
Venus flower basket
Euplectella aspergillum
The Venus flower basket is a deep-sea glass sponge with a delicate silica skeleton. Its lattice provides a sheltered home for a pair of tiny shrimp.
Not a fish · an aquatic neighborWater
Saltwater
Deep Pacific seafloor attached to hard substrate.
Temperature
Range not established
A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not established from the reviewed sources.
Size
Usually about 10–30 cm (4–12 in) tall
About the height of a tall drinking glass.
Lifespan
Not established in the wild
Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.
01 · Signature adaptation
What does it do?
It remains attached to the deep seafloor and filters passing water. Glass shrimp may enter the lattice as juveniles and become trapped as they grow.
02 · Home coordinates
Where does it live?
Deep tropical and subtropical Pacific waters.
Regions: western Pacific · Philippine Sea · deep Pacific basins
03 · The menu
What does it eat?
Water flows through its body, and specialized cells remove tiny food particles.
Filter feeder: bacteria, plankton, dissolved organic particles.
04 · Remember this
Two wow facts
Shrimp apartment
A breeding pair of shrimp can live inside the sponge's lattice after entering while young.
Sources [1]
Natural glass
Its skeleton is built from silica spicules arranged in a remarkably complex lattice.
Sources [2]