Meet The Latest Deep-Sea Horror: Meat-Eating 'Death-Ball' Sponges

Meet The Latest Deep-Sea Horror: Meat-Eating 'Death-Ball' Sponges

Sponges are some of the simplest and least dangerous animals on Earth, but a new species seems to be shooting for a cooler reputation. A carnivorous "death-ball" sponge is among 30 new creatures found in the deep sea near Antarctica earlier this year by the Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census. The new species has been placed in the genus Chondrocladia, known as the ping pong ball sponges. It's easy to see why at a glance: These creatures look …