Antarctica's Death-Ball Sponge: A New Deep-Sea Predator

Deep below the Southern Ocean, explorers have found a chilling new inhabitant: a carnivorous sponge that looks like a cluster of bubbles but behaves like a trap. The discovery, made during the Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census, adds to a growing list of surprising and often alien-looking species from Earth's least-explored waters.

A bubble-like hunter from the abyss

At first glance the sponge resembles a playful assembly of ping-pong-ball-sized nodules perched on stalks — deceptively innocent. Scientists have placed the new species in the genus Chondrocladia, colloquially known as "ping pong ball" sponges. But appearances are misleading: the surface of these nodules is lined with tiny hooked spicules that snag small animals, probably crustaceans, that drift within reach.

The new species of carnivorous "death-ball" sponge

Unlike filter-feeding sponges that passively strain microscopic food from water, these carnivorous sponges use a different strategy. They abandon the classic sponge diet and trap larger prey using adhesive tissues and hooked structures. Once captured, prey is digested in place — a textured, slow-motion version of predation adapted to extreme depths where food is scarce.

Where and how this strange sponge was found

The find came during a 2025 expedition launched in 2023 to catalog life in the Southern Ocean, a region scientists have long described as profoundly under-sampled. Using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian, researchers recorded the sponge at 3,601 meters (11,814 feet) deep in a trench east of Montagu Island — part of one of the planet's most remote island chains.

The new species of iridescent scale worm discovered during the expedition

The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census mission aimed to document unknown species and ecosystems around Antarctica. The team reports at least 30 candidate new species from this deployment alone, including armored, iridescent scale worms, previously undocumented crustaceans, and unusual sea stars. Cameras aboard the ROV also captured the first-ever video of a juvenile colossal squid and recorded life under a massive iceberg that recently calved from a West Antarctic glacier.

Why this discovery matters

Finding a carnivorous sponge in these depths does more than add a dramatic headline; it highlights how much of the Southern Ocean’s biodiversity remains invisible to science. "The Southern Ocean remains profoundly under-sampled," says Michelle Taylor, Head of Science at the Ocean Census. The expedition team notes that they have analyzed less than 30% of collected samples so far — and yet dozens of potential new species were already confirmed.

These discoveries have practical value. Cataloging species and habitats informs conservation priorities, helps predict ecosystem responses to climate-driven changes, and expands our understanding of evolutionary adaptations in low-light, low-food environments. For example, carnivorous feeding strategies among sponges illustrate how life can reinvent basic ecological roles under extreme pressure.

Mission tech and the road ahead

The success of this expedition depended on advanced deep-sea tools: long-duration ROVs, high-definition cameras, and open-access data platforms to share findings globally. All confirmed species from the Ocean Census will be curated in an open data repository so researchers worldwide can compare specimens, DNA sequences, and ecological notes.

As analysis continues, scientists expect more surprises. Each dive into the Southern Ocean peels back layers of a hidden biosphere and raises fresh questions: How many more predators are adapted to lurk like bubbles in the dark? And what can these organisms teach us about resilience and innovation in evolution?

Implications for biodiversity research

Discoveries like the death-ball sponge underscore the importance of funding and supporting systematic surveys of understudied regions. They also remind us that extreme environments often yield extreme biology: novel adaptations, unexpected food webs, and species that challenge our definitions of common animal groups.

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