Some glass sponges may be the oldest animals on Earth. Individuals of Monorhaphis chuni are estimated at over 11,000 years old, and they build a single skeletal spike up to 3m long, the largest natural glass structure any animal makes. 🧪 #SpongeThursday #HowToBuildAGiant #marinelife

Especially on the subaqua branches of the bankside Willows, & sheet pilings in their shade, spectacular growths of Freshwater Sponges (Spongillidae). Here in the lower River Little Ouse, where the flow is slow, it needs these finger like growths to 📈 surface area for filter feeding. #SpongeThursday

Another incredibly elongate deep-sea stalked sponge! at 3093 m, east basin seamount, American Samoa #spongeThursday #Okeanos

A fallen glass sponge showing off its holdfast! yes. glass fibers! very much like fiber optic cable! #spongeThursday #okeanos 3115 m east basin seamount, American Samoa

Another impressively large Saccocalyx stalked glass sponge, 3170 m east basin seamount, American Samoa #okeanos #spongeThursday

Stalked glass sponge, Caulophacus, 3190 m east basin seamount, American Samoa #spongeThursday #okeanos

MORE glass sponge love! 3245 m #Okeanos lovely fiber optic stalk! #spongeThursday

GLASS SPONGE showing off a very fibrous stalk! 3255 m south samoa basin seamount, American Samoa #Okeanos #spongeThursday

Alaskan Sponge diversity news! #spongeThursday www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-stor...

A glass sponge at 5207 m! #okeanos East Muliāva Abyssal Plain #spongethursday

A cute little glass sponge in the Bolosominae, LOLLIPOP! depth is 5215. #okeanos East Muliāva Abyssal Plain #spongeThursday

A lovely carnivorous or cladorhizid SPONGE! 5865m Ultra Deep Basin American Samoa #Okeanos #spongeThursday!

A lovely decorative glass sponge with interesting bits! at 3807 m East Muliava seamount American Samoa, #okeanos
#spongethursday

Details from behind the sponge showing the convex structure.. showing off the lovely intricacies of the glass sponge stalk and etc. #okeanos about 2 to 3m tall #spongethursday

MORE shots of this Caulophacus sponge, about 50 cm diameter..and 3m tall! The fine details of the surface #okeanos #spongeThursday