Carnivorous ‘death-ball’ sponge among 30 new species discovered in Southern Ocean

Imagine SpongeBob Square Pants as a carnivore.

That might seem a bit far-fetched, but scientists have discovered 30 new deep-sea species in the Southern Ocean, including the ominously nicknamed “death-ball” sponge.

The spherical, hook-covered predatory sponge -- its genus is Chondrocladia sp. nov. -- traps its prey using minuscule hooks, according to a news release from The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census.

It is a departure from the normally passive, filter-feeding sponges that populate the rest of the world’s oceans.

The species and others were discovered by Ocean Census scientists and collaborators during two 2025 research cruises with the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

Nearly 2,000 specimens across 14 animal groups were collected during the cruises.

The findings were officially verified in August at the Southern Ocean Species Discovery Workshop, hosted by Universidad de Magallanes in Punta Arenas, Chile.

“The Southern Ocean remains profoundly under-sampled,” Michelle Taylor, head of science at Ocean Census, said in a statement. “To date, we have only assessed under 30 percent of the samples collected from this expedition, so confirming 30 new species already shows how much biodiversity is still undocumented.”

With Halloween lurking, a death-ball sponge is creepy enough. But researchers also documented a species dubbed “zombie worms” (genus Osedaxsp.), which feed on the bones of whales and other large vertebrates without mouths or digestive systems. The worms rely on symbiotic bacteria.

In addition to the newly discovered sponge, researchers also identified hydrothermal vents hosting chemosynthetic communities. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), hydrothermal vents are “the result of seawater percolating down through fissures in the ocean crust in the vicinity of spreading centers or subduction zones” -- places on Earth where two tectonic plates move away or toward one another.

Researchers also discovered vibrant coral gardens and the evidence of “explosive undersea volcanism.”

In addition, scientists witnessed the first confirmed camera footage of a juvenile colossal squid.

“Accelerating species discovery is not a scientific luxury – it is essential for public good,” said Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of The Nippon Foundation and leader of the Ocean Census program. “Through these expeditions, we’ve seen another groundbreaking set of discoveries that will benefit scientists, policymakers and communities worldwide.”

© 2025 Cox Media Group