You are purchasing the exact item described and pictured. As a natural product, irregularities in form and condition may occur, which should not be considered as defects. Therefore, we strongly recommend carefully reviewing the provided images!
Name:
Common name:
Euplectella aspergillum → Venus' flower basket, Glass sponge
Family / Genus / Species / Binom / Author:
Euplectellidae → Euplectella → aspergillum → Euplectella aspergillum → Owen, 1841
Protection status:
Location:
Philippines / Southeast Asia
Size of the specimen:
Length: 25 cm
Diameter: 5 cm
Weight:
The skeleton of this glass sponge consists of a network of silicate needles that are very similar to commercial glass fibers and give it high stability. Interestingly, pairs of a small bioluminescent crab species often live in the sponges, which migrate as larvae through pores into the sponge body and spend their entire life in the sponge body. The fiberglass structure of the sponge transmits the crabs' glow to the outside, thus attracting food for the lodgers. In return, the crabs clean the sponge. In Japanese culture, such sponges are a popular wedding gift as a "prison of marriage" or "Venus flower basket".
