Hexactinellid sponges are sponges with a skeleton made of four- and/or six-pointed siliceous spicules, often referred to as glass sponges. They are usually classified along with other sponges in the phylum Porifera, but some researchers consider them sufficiently distinct to deserve their own phylum, Symplasma.

The glass sponge is a deep-dwelling animal named for its intricate glass-like skeletal structure. The most famous glass sponge is a species of Euplectella, shown here in the northwestern Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico).

Glass sponge, any of a class (Hexactinellida, also called Hyalospongiae, or Triaxonia) of sponges characterized by a skeleton that consists of silica spicules (needlelike structures) often united into a delicate geometric network—e.g., that of Venus’s flower basket (q.v.).

Glass sponges, or hexactinellids, belong to the phylum Porifera. These animals are common only in the deep ocean. Their tissues contain glass-like structural particles made of silica. The many tiny siliceous elements of a glass sponge's skeleton are called “spicules.”

2023年11月21日 · These deep-sea dwellers are named for their skeletal-like structures that resemble glass, and their tissues contain particles, called spicules, which are made of silica. Some glass sponge species produce large spicules that become fused together and form what can only be described as “glass houses.”

2024年12月29日 · Glass sponges are ancient marine creatures with delicate, glass-like skeletons found in deep ocean waters. They play a vital role in their ecosystems by providing habitat and influencing nutrient cycles.

The Most Famous Glass Sponge. The venus flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) is a popular wedding gift in Asian cultures. Often enclosed inside the sponge fibers is a mated pair of shrimp (Stenopodidea), which become trapped inside for life while the sponge grows around them.

2020年12月24日 · Some of the most fascinating organisms in the deep-sea are the hexactinellids, commonly known as glass sponges. Glass sponges live almost exclusively at depths > 300 m and are often dotted throughout our ROV dives, but they can …

2021年1月11日 · A glass sponge found deep in the Pacific shows a remarkable ability to withstand compression and bending, on top of the sponge’s other unusual properties.

The glass sponge reefs provide much needed shelter and act as a nursery for many small fish and invertebrates, such as baby rockfish or spot prawns. They can be found hiding in the chimney-shaped oscula of a finger goblet sponge, tucking themselves away in the numerous maze-like folds of Farrea occa , or hiding among the branches of a cloud sponge.