Venus's flower basket sponge skeleton. Close-up of the skeleton of a Venus's flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) marine sponge. This sponge forms

---

Venus's flower basket sponge skeleton. Close-up of the skeleton of a Venus's flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) marine sponge. This sponge forms an elongate tubular skeleton up to 250 mm in length, made of extremely thin silica-based spicules that form an extremely strong, yet lightweight, geometric pattern (seen here).

---

Size: 5315px × 3543px
Photo credit: © DIRK WIERSMA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -life, animal, animals, aquatic, aspergillum, background, basket, biological, biology, black, close-, detail, euplectella, flower, geometric, glass, hexactinellida, hyalospongiae, invertebrate, invertebrates, life, marine, natural, nature, porifera, poriferan, silica, silica-based, skeletal, skeleton, spicule, spicules, sponge, structure, structures, venus, venuss, wildlife, zoological, zoology