Carnivorous "Death-Ball" Sponge among new deep-sea species

Carnivorous “Death-Ball” Sponge among new deep-sea species

Thirty previously unknown deep-sea species have been confirmed from one of the most remote parts of the planet. Among them a carnivorous “death-ball” sponge.

The search was in the South Sandwich Islands with a team onboard the Ocean Census flagship.

The expedition was by the Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census and collaborators.

The discoveries follow two 2025 research cruises with Schmidt Ocean Institute and verified at the Southern Ocean Species Discovery Workshop hosted by Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile (August 2025).

With Halloween on the horizon, a standout discovery is a new spoter-feeding undertakenby most sponges. ‘Zombieworms’ (Osedax sp.) were also observed. Although not thought to be new to science, these worms have no mouth or gut and rely on symbiotic bacteria to break down fats inside the bones of whales and other large vertabrates.

Watch the video for views of the new discoveries.

The Nippon Foundation is Japan’s largest philanthropic foundation. Since 1962 it has supported projects in education, healthcare, food security and ocean conservation. The Foundations plays a pivotal role in advancing marine science in Japan and globally, through partnerships with leading scientific institutions.

Nekton is an independent not-for-profit research institute and UK registered charity.