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Venus' Flower Basket

Sponges

Venus' flower basket is a deep-sea glass sponge whose skeleton is built from a lattice of silica spicules fused into a cylindrical, intricately woven structure resembling a woven basket or vase. It lives anchored to the seafloor at depths of several hundred meters, mainly in the western Pacific, where it filters bacteria and other tiny particles from the surrounding water. Its skeleton is well known for often housing a permanent pair of small shrimp that enter as juveniles and grow too large to leave, a partnership long used in Japan as a wedding gift symbolizing lifelong union.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Filter Feeder 1
System (Realm)
Marine 2
Relationship to People
No Significant Interaction with Humans 3
Scientific Name
Euplectella aspergillum 4
Conservation Status
Not Evaluated 5
Comparison
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 3
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Hexactinellida, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Venus' Flower Basket

In Biome

Bathyal Zone, Biomes
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Euplectella aspergillum (Animal Diversity Web)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

The Pacific Ocean

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Wikipedia: Venus' flower basketDistribution: Pacific Ocean
Quote, Distribution: Pacific Ocean
Venus' flower baskets are found in the western Pacific Ocean nearby the Philippine Islands.
Sources
1. Wikidata: Venus' Flower Basket
  • Wikidata Q1523518, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Wikipedia 'Venus' flower basket': they feed by filtering sea water to capture plankton and marine snow
  • Child Taxon Of: Hexactinellida, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: Venus' flower basket
  • system (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    The Venus' flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) is a species of glass sponge found in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, usually at depths below 500 m (1,600 ft).
  • In Group: Glass Sponges (Hexactinellida), Lead
    The Venus' flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) is a species of glass sponge found in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, usually at depths below 500 m (1,600 ft).
View the Source
3. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Euplectella aspergillum (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
  • Conservation Status: CITES
    CITES No special status
  • Economic Importance for Humans
    No positive benefits recorded. ... No adverse affects recorded.
  • In Biome: Bathyal Zone, Habitat
    This species is found attached to rocky areas of the seafloor. It is found from 100 to 1000 m below the surface, and is most common at depths greater than 500 m
View the Source
4. Wikipedia: Venus' flower basket
WikipediaWikidata Q1523518 (P225 taxon name)View the Source
5. GBIF (IUCN Red List category): GBIF IUCN Red List category for Euplectella aspergillum
GBIF (IUCN Red List category)GBIF taxon key 5180237, category field
Quote, GBIF taxon key 5180237, category field
"category": "NOT_EVALUATED"
View the Source
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
International Union for Conservation of NatureView the Source
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