What is the ‘death ball sponge’: A strange carnivorous predator found miles below the ocean surface

Newly discovered organisms are still showing us just how little we know about life in the oceans; this includes a new type of sponge that eats other animals, the “death ball sponge”, that was discovered recently in the Southern Ocean. Most sponges breed in water throughout their lives by getting food from the surrounding water, but this type of sponge actively hunts and catches its prey.After discovering the death ball sponge, biologists have realised that not much of the deep marine environment has ever been studied. In addition, biologists have learned that most places on Earth where sunlight does not reach and where there is no food present enable the organisms that live there to evolve into unique forms. The death ball sponge is a prime example of how life is able to adapt to extreme deep-sea conditions.A sponge called the Death Ball Sponge has been found during deep-sea exploration taking place off the South Sandwich Islands. This discovery was made as part of a mission undertaken by the Nippon Foundation - Nekton Ocean Census, which conducted this deep-sea exploration using remotely operated vehicles to explore trenches, volcanic regions and the bottom of the ocean at depths of many thousands of metres.As part of this mission, which is known as the Ocean Census flagship mission, almost 2000 specimens were collected, and many of the specimens have already been confirmed as new species to science. The results of this study support previous findings by Oceana, which published the Oceana 2025 Marine Discoveries showing that a considerable number of species of marine life are still unknown and are continuing to be discovered by scientists through the ongoing exploration of our oceans.Unlike most sponges, the Death Ball Chondrocladia genus has a carnivorous feeding style. Instead of filtering nutrients from the surrounding water, these sponges catch their prey, which are usually small organisms with fine hook-like structures called microspines.After catching its prey, the Death Ball sponge consumes the nutrients directly. The means of consuming prey directly may be an adaptation to deep-sea environments where food particles are less likely to be suspended in the water column. The discovery observations by the Ocean Census program show that predation adaptations like this one are much more common than previously understood in low-nutrient zones.The death-ball sponge is part of the overall trend of the discovery of new species occurring in the Southern Ocean. The Ocean Census project has confirmed the existence of many new species, including new crustaceans, corals and starfish, found during recent expeditions into the Southern Ocean.At the same time, recent reports of the species discoveries in the Oceana lead to 25% of the specimens collected so far have been completely analysed, predicting many more species will be discovered as more research is conducted, showing just how little of the marine ecosystems are explored.The Schmidt Ocean Institute's "Searching for New Species in the South Sandwich Islands" expedition shows how advances in scientific technological development have contributed to the exploration of the Southwest Indian Ocean, including the South Sandwich Islands region. Deep-sea oceanographic technologies have been used by Schmidt, along with in-situ imaging services, to study areas of the world's oceans previously not accessible through direct observation, due either to ice cover or extreme conventional ocean depths.Through these types of scientific technological tools, Schmidt and other scientists have been able to observe the ecosystem of the world's oceans that were hidden from view, such as behind ice or located in extreme ocean depths; these efforts have provided direct evidence of biodiversity within areas of the world that have never been recorded through visual documentation.The identification of the death ball sponge has demonstrated the adaptability of living creatures under harsh conditions. In an environment where food is hard to find, creatures adapt different methods of surviving, such as being predators rather than filter feeders.The Southern Ocean is one of the least-explored places on Earth. Many marine species have not been discovered yet, particularly those living in the deep sea.For instance, the death ball sponge was discovered in recent times. With the advancement of technology and further research, more species will be discovered, thereby improving our knowledge about life in the depths of the ocean.