Not enough is known of this species' life history and behavior to explain why it has these strange features, but that's pretty true for all of these cephalopods. Now excuse me while I go shopping for a new bathysphere. Refer to the Invertebrate Zoology Glossary , in pdf or html format. James Bell and David Barnes of University College Cork report on the changes of sponge shape off the coast of Ireland. The bottom line is that in areas and depths with strong currents.
Sponges are sessile and feed by filtering water that flows through their bodies.
But what this means is that scientist would be able to know the conditions of certain marine environments just by looking at the sponges that grow there and the shapes they take. In addition, the exact shapes sponges take in different conditions teach us lessons about fluid dynamics, and the way that animals as simple as sponges decide how to grow and where to settle is not clear. Although the goals and results of this study were fairly straightforward, the methods for quantifying sponge shapes, the cliff surfaces to which they are attached, water flow, and rates of sedimentation are not. J. Mar. Bio. You may also send prints or slides to 521 E 81st St, 2A, New York, NY 10028.