Many of the animals that you would not imagine are capable of sneezing. Now, what peculiarity do the so-called marine sponges have?
The ocean still holds many surprises for us today. After all, there are still thousands and thousands of hectares to be explored, mainly due to how expensive the expeditions can be. The acquisition of specialized equipment, together with the difficult conditions presented by the seabed, makes it not easy to obtain relief information. Faced with this situation, encountering curiosities about certain animals becomes one of the most sought after tasks by researchers.
Did you know that many of the animals you know have sneezing as a mechanism that performs the same function as in the case of humans? The main objective of this involuntary act is to release the respiratory system so that it can function properly. Whether due to an allergic reaction or simply due to excess mucus, it is a key element to be able to expel everything that prevents the free circulation of oxygen. It is, therefore, an element that we see much more often than we thought in the animal kingdom.
Now, could we expect this from a sea sponge? This is just what we want to show you today. This curious animal, which lives in the depths of the ocean, has drawn attention for having a curious way of sneezing. This mechanism allows to release a kind of nostrils with the aim of improve your breathing ability. In the same way, the remains present around them become a delicacy for other species present in the ecosystem in which they live.
Sea sponge, this is how this curious animal manages to sneeze
Niklas Kornder, from the University of Amsterdam, has carried out a study to show the function of this type of sponge in the marine environment. The study, yes, had as its main objective to determine the main reason why sea sponges sneeze. Apparently, this mechanism is what allows them to survive, since their diet is mainly based on a filtration system. Thanks to this tool, it is possible to enjoy a cost-effective option of cleaning the ducts.
The marine sponge that has served as the object of the study has been the Chelonaplysilla variant. This set of animals could play an essential role in the food chain, since many other fish fed during the tests on the mucus extracted from the interior of the sponge. It is a discovery that can serve as a starting point to understand how some of the ecosystems work that still keep, to this day, many secrets.
It is important to point out that these types of actions are far from what happens in the case of humans and, of course, the vast majority of animals. In the case of marine sponges, it has been possible to determine that they have periods in which each of the sneezes can last up to half an hour. This is so due, mainly, to the presence of a set of ducts that receive water that needs to be filtered with greater determination.