At depths below 2 km in the ocean, a gloomy desert begins. There are almost no animals here, no light either, and the pressure is monstrous. Rare life takes on such bizarre forms that our usual perception of nature no longer works. Meet - Ping-Pong Tree Sponge.
Imagine, you are a scientist controlling an underwater drone to explore the depths of the ocean. Boredom. It is a wasteland. Darkness, rocks, sometimes blind shrimp swim by. And suddenly - you see a tree with balls growing on it! It seems like it's time to take a break. Or not?
This creature is a sponge. And therefore - it is an animal, not a plant. Although very primitive. Furthermore - it is a predator! It is known that the ethereal balls the sponge uses for hunting plankton and even small fish and crustaceans. The surface of the balls is covered with tiny hooks. If any animal touches the surface of the ball, it will not come off. And by wriggling, it will only get stuck more. After successfully capturing the prey, the sponge slowly begins to absorb the victim inside the ball, where it will be digested.
These are all the data that have been obtained about this amusing character so far. But we will never cease to be amazed at how many mysteries the ocean holds!
