A new carnivorous shaped like a candle seen in deep water off the coast of Monterey Bay, California. The species was called "sponge harp" because of its structure similar to the harp. A team from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in Moss Landing, California, discovered sponge species was in 2000 when browsing with a vehicle operated remotely. Sponges are living nearly 3.5 kilometers below sea level. "We were just amazed. Nobody ever saw it with their own eyes before," said Lonny Lundsten, an invertebrate biologist and one of the first to see sponge's harp.
The researchers then collected two sponges and make video surveillance more than 10 pieces. Comparison with other carnivorous sponges confirmed that Chondrocladia lyra (the scientific name of the species of sponge), a new species and revealed some interesting things in the life cycle of a sponge. The results of the analysis were published on October 18 in the journal? Invertebrate Biology? .
Catch foods
like Velcro hooks which cover the thorny limbs branching sponges, crustaceans capture them as they swept into the branches by the ocean currents. When the sponge harp gets food, he wrapped his prey in a thin membrane, and then slowly began to digest.
The sponge is attached to the soft mud sediment on the sea floor with rhizoid living among other mysterious creatures.Sponges harp scientists first discovered only two branches, called the propeller. Additional divers use a remote vehicle revealed a creature was to have six vanes, said Lundsten told OurAmazingPlanet.
The largest measuring 36 cm. The research team believes, sponge harp has evolved into a more complex structure to increase the surface area of the body and exposes himself to the flow of the harp can catch more prey.
Sponges harp is one of four new species identified Lundsten. "We only saw 1 percent of Monterey Bay, and it is one of the most deep-sea locations well studied on Earth," he said.
Fertilization sponge
Scientists first found out that the sponge that meat eaters are less than 20 years ago. Most live in the deep ocean, making it difficult to understand their lifestyle.
Sponges harp collected by MBARI scientists marks the first time researchers observed a complete cycle of the unique carnivorous sponge are in sexual reproduction.
Most active sponge releasing sperm that swim in the sea water around it, but it seems that all carnivorous sponge sperm transfer in condensed packages (spermatophores), said the scientists.
The ball that swells at the end of the sponge harp upright branches that store some sperm. The ball is releasing spermatophores to current passing, and other nearby sponge package to capture fine filaments along their branches.Sperm then find your way to the parent sponge to fertilize her eggs, according to the scientists.
Regards, Dwi Hartoyo, SP
REFERENCES
1. http://id.berita.yahoo.com/spons-pemakan-daging-berbentuk-aneh-ditemukan-di-laut-dalam.html
2. http://techno.okezone.com/read/2012/11/09/56/716247/hewan-berbentuk-harpa-ditemukan-di-dasar-laut
3. http://www.mesammesem.com/show/5665/spons-spesies-baru-berbentuk-seperti-harpa
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