Basket of Venus, or Euplectella aspergillum- one of the most beautiful sponges. It would be more accurate to say that this sponge has the most beautiful skeleton, presented in the form of a cylindrical openwork plexus of skeletal elements. It is the skeleton of the Basket of Venus that is considered valuable decoration and the dream of many collectors, and thanks to him the sponge received such a romantic name. Its unique skeletal lattice, like a basket, is woven from thin translucent fibers, and could easily touch even the goddess of beauty, love and gardens - Venus.
The first description of this creature was made by the famous English zoologist and paleontologist Sir Richard Owen in 1841, while studying the fauna of the Philippines.
Euplectella aspergillum belongs to the squad Lyssacinosida, part of the class of Six-beam or glass sponges ( Hexactinellida or Hyalospongia). Genus Euplectella currently unites about 15 species of sponges, which popular rumor has dubbed the Baskets of Venus for the beauty and grace of their skeletal structure.
These are typical marine animals, mostly solitary, less often colonial, living in deep-sea places - from 100 m to kilometer depths, preferring, however, to settle at a depth of 400-600 m.
The Basket of Venus can be found in the eastern regions Indian Ocean and in the west Pacific Ocean, mainly in the tropics. The waters around the Philippine archipelago are especially famous for the abundance of glass sponges. More often, Baskets of Venus inhabit deep-sea areas of the shelf zone of continents and islands.
Glass sponges are very ancient animals - the fossilized remains of their skeletons date back to the Silurian period, that is, they are at least 420-440 million years old.
The lifestyle of these animals is poorly understood, since Baskets of Venus are found at considerable depth. Like all sponges, they are sessile animals, attaching themselves to stony or rocky substrates at the bottom. Their food is microorganisms and organic remains found in the water that the sponge passes through the channels of its body.
The Venus Basket sponge has a cylindrical body, the basis of which is a silicon skeleton made of six-rayed needles. The rays of the needles are oriented in three mutually perpendicular planes; there are needles with underdeveloped rays. The silicon skeleton literally looks like glass, so the Basket of Venus, as well as many other representatives of the class of six-rayed sponges, justify the name of its class - glass sponges.
These animals extract silicic acid compounds from sea water and convert them into silica, forming a complex skeletal frame of natural fiberglass. The thickness of the elements of such a frame can be no thicker than a human hair, for this reason the skeletons of glass sponges are very delicate and fragile.
The body height of most species of the Basket of Venus does not exceed 10-20 cm, but can reach more than 30 cm (according to some sources - up to 120 cm). At its top there is a wide mouth, which in adult individuals is closed by an openwork lattice of skeletal formations.
The sponge skeleton is covered with a soft shell, represented by epithelium, mesoglea, in the thickness of which there are other types of cells characteristic of most sponges. It should only be noted that the mesoglea of glass sponges does not contain myocyte cells, characteristic of sponges of other classes. The thickness of the mesoglea between the epithelial cells is penetrated by channels that have chambers along their length, inner surface which are covered with choanocytes - flagellated cells that push water through channels through the body of the sponge.
The unique symbiosis of the Basket of Venus with deep-sea shrimp and some species of crustaceans formed the basis of a beautiful Japanese tradition - to give newlyweds the skeleton of this sponge with a pair of crustaceans that have settled in its internal cavity as a wedding gift.
Small crustaceans enter the cavity through the mouth of the sponge and live there, feeding on organic matter pumped by choanocytes along with water. Inside the Basket of Venus, shrimp and crustaceans feel safe, well-fed and supplied with fresh water, so they do not feel the desire to leave their patron, settling in the cavity of the sponge for a long time. After some time, the shrimp grow up and become prisoners of the skeleton of the Basket of Venus, since they cannot leave it through the openwork lattice of the mouth. However, the shrimp (and there are always a pair of them - a male and a female) are not at all worried about this - they feel great in their “imprisonment”. They reproduce right in their “prison”, and the young shrimp swim away through the mouth of the sponge, most often looking for shelter similar to their “parental home”. 
According to naturalists, shrimp feed in the cavity of the Basket of Venus not only with the “leftovers” of its feast - it turns out that in the darkness of the depths the sponge is capable of emitting light, attracting the smallest microscopic animals to it, which become prey not only for the sponge, but also for its symbiotic tenants. The crustaceans remain to live in the sponge until the end of their days, maintaining marital fidelity to their soulmate. It was this fact that served as the reason for the emergence of the custom described above - to give newlyweds a Venus Basket with a pair of crustaceans inside as a symbol of marital fidelity.
Apparently, the case of symbiotic relationships presented here should be classified as mutualism, since there is no benefit for the sponge from cohabitation with crustaceans and shrimp, and there is no harm, at least obvious, either.
It is curious that physicists are interested in the skeletons of glass sponges - the properties of the constituent elements of this natural structure ideally correspond to the requirements of the “wires” of fiber optics. Optical fiber production technology is currently associated with high temperatures, which makes it difficult to control the quality and properties of the resulting materials.
Glass sponges produce their “fiber” at a considerable depth, where the temperature does not exceed 2-10 degrees. C. Having adopted the technology of making a skeleton from silica from these animals with low temperatures, physicists would be able to produce better optical fibers and materials.
In addition, the skeletons of glass sponges can help create inexpensive and efficient solar cell elements.
But at present, the skeleton of the Basket of Venus is of greatest value as an amazing souvenir decoration created by nature.
So unusual and self-explanatory name the sponge deserves it appearance. Sea sponges in general are very amazing and not like anyone similar creatures.
Looking at the photo called “Venus’s basket”, you can immediately understand that this animal is the object of dreams of many collectors.
The unusual skeleton looks like a lace veil, as if enveloping this ephemeral creature. On the other hand, the sponge looks like a wicker basket. You can compare this creature with anything for a long time, one thing is for sure - this animal is unique in its kind.
The first information about this sponge appeared in 1841. In those distant times, the English naturalist Richard Owen was conducting research on the fauna of the Philippine Islands and accidentally came across an unusually beautiful sea creature. This was Euplectella aspergillum.
These living organisms, as a species, are rightfully considered one of the longest-livers of our planet, because the appearance of the ancestors of “baskets” on Earth is dated back to 420 - 440 million years ago.
Where do sponges called Venus baskets live?
These creatures can be found in the western waters of the Pacific Ocean and in the eastern regions of the Indian Ocean.
Venus baskets prefer to settle in tropical areas. There are especially many of them near the Philippine Islands.
What is the difference between the basket of Venus and other representatives of sponges?
These animals are shaped like a vessel woven from airy threads. Externally, the sponge looks like a fragile basket. The animal's skeleton is based on a silicon composition. It consists of many ray needles, which is why the sponge belongs to the glass class - after all, its skeleton is as if invisible, and instead of it there is only “delicate lace”.
Nutrition and lifestyle of the basket of Venus
Representatives of this species prefer to lead single image life. Basket colonies are rather an exception to the rule. Settle in great depth, attaching to stones and other underwater substrate. They lead a mostly sedentary lifestyle.
The basket of Venus feeds on a variety of microorganisms, as well as organic remains. The sponge pushes food through its body, thereby supplying the body with nutrients.
Beneficial properties of sponges for humans and for the world of science
Oddly enough, but such primitive, at first glance, creatures serve as an indispensable support for science, in particular physics. Scientists around the world have concluded that glass sponges (and specifically Venus baskets) are an example for creating a new generation of optical fiber.
Looking at these bottom dwellers, scientific minds are trying to adopt the ability to build a skeleton from silicon at record low temperatures (after all, at great depths the temperature ranges from 2 to 10 degrees).
The most numerous group of sponges. These are predominantly soft elastic forms. Their skeleton is formed by uniaxial spines. There is always some amount of spongin, with the help of which the needles are glued together into bundles or fibers... Biological encyclopedia
This order includes glass sponges, in which the microsclera are represented by various hexasters. Often the large needles of these sponges, connecting with each other, form a skeleton in the form of a spatial lattice. Characteristic representatives… … Biological encyclopedia
Or glass sponges (Hexactinellidae or Hyalospongia) suborder of flint sponges or Silicispongia. They are characterized by the presence of a skeleton consisting of three or, rather, six-ray type needles. Such needles are usually soldered together and... ... encyclopedic Dictionary F. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron
IN modern systems classifications, the animal kingdom (Animalia) is divided into two subkingdoms: parazoans (Parazoa) and true multicellular organisms (Eumetazoa, or Metazoa). Only one type of sponge is classified as parazoan. They do not have real tissues and organs... ... Collier's Encyclopedia
- (glass sponges), a class of marine invertebrate animals such as sponges. The skeleton consists of 6 rayed flint spines. About 500 species, at a depth of 100 m or more to the ultraabyssal; in Russia there are 34 species. * * * SIX-ARMED SPONGS SIX-ARMED SPONGS... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Six-rayed sponges Illustration ... Wikipedia
Salvador Dali The Hallucinogenic Bullfighter, 1968 70 Oil on canvas. 398.8 × 299.7 cm Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg ... Wikipedia
The body is cylindrical, up to 30 cm long, and consists of hexagonal needles, which contain silica. Deep sea species tropical zone Pacific and Indian oceans.
In Japan, euplectella is associated with wedding ceremony. When young people get married, they receive a beautiful translucent basket with a pair of dried shrimps inside as a gift. The Japanese have long noticed that in each such sponge there live two shrimp - a male and a female. They get there at the larval stage and, when they grow up, they can no longer leave it. Therefore, the gift is for the newlyweds symbolic meaning- he serves as a personification constant love, fidelity and long marital happiness. Translated from Japanese, the sponge is called “to live, grow old and die together.”
Basket of Venus
Few zoologists study sponges. This can be explained simply - big practical significance they do not have, are unattractive in appearance, not like, for example, birds, tigers or sea stars. At the same time, the name of one of the largest Russian specialists in sea sponges is known to everyone. Nowadays, few people remember that the great Russian traveler, ethnographer and anthropologist Nikolai Nikolaevich Miklouho-Maclay was a zoologist by training. A student and assistant of the great Ernst Haeckel, he worked a lot on the sponges of our seas. At the end of many scientific names sponges living in northern seas, we meet the name of the author of the species description – Miclucho-Maclay.
End of work -
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Sponges. Classes: limestone, glass, ordinary
This lesson is carried out after studying the type of Protozoa and is a lesson according to the program V V Pasechnik's textbook V V Latyushin V A Shapkin M.. Biology lesson in the class on the topic.. Sponges Classes lime glass ordinary..
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Cross section through the wall of the sponge body 1 - mouth, 2 - body cavity, 3 - channels
2. The body consists mainly of a gelatinous substance, inside of which there is a skeleton of protein, calcium carbonate or silica. Sponges belong to cellular level of organization 3.
Three types of sponge body structure: the dark stripe indicates the choanocyte layer
8. Most sponges are hermaphrodites. Reproduction is sexual and asexual. Asexual reproduction occurs through budding, sometimes internal. The buds that form on the body are usually not a part of
Where is the sponge used?
History of sponge use 1. Toilet sponge in ancient Rome. Toilet paper the ancient Romans did not know; instead they used a simple device - an ordinary Mediterranean g
Http://biouroki.ru/crossword/biologiya-7-klass-latushin/gubki.html
1. Deep-sea forms of sponges
Symbiosis of sponges with other organisms
Many animals found on the surface and inside sponges enter into harmless or mutually beneficial relationships with them. These are many crustaceans, some polychaete worms(polychaetes)
Hermit crab with cork sponge
It should be emphasized that the biological relationships between crustaceans and sponges are very diverse. There are about 500 different cases of more or less close connections, which are considered to be
Dromia crab
Some crabs playfully exploit the unattractiveness of sponges to predators. They carry pieces of sponges on their backs, supporting them with their hind limbs. Such Dromia crabs are cut with their claws according to
Sponge mining
Kalymnos. Sponge divers. Kalymnos is a fairly small island in the Aegean Sea, part of a group of over 50 Dodecanese islands in southern Greece. Although diving for sponges was the source
– a practical and beautiful gift that does not cause much trouble for the recipient. Nevertheless, minimal care of the composition is still necessary. In this article, we'll show you how to extend the life of a floral gift with a little effort to keep the joy of a basket of plants alive for as long as possible.
Features of caring for flower baskets
Arrangements in baskets require slightly different care than classic bouquets. Basic and fundamental difference the fact is that in the first case a vase is not needed, which means there is no need to additionally wash the water container using chlorine-containing products.
To compose compositions in baskets, professional florists use a special sponge - bioflora, which is completely invisible from the outside. It is placed at the bottom of the basket. The material absorbs and retains moisture very well, so it nourishes the plant for a long time. In addition, the sponge helps to create and maintain the desired shape of the composition. The most popular forms of bioflora:
- brick;
- cone;
- cylinder.
How to care for flowers in a basket with a sponge depends on the temperature and humidity in the room where the gift is placed. At high temperatures and low air humidity, water from bioflora quickly evaporates, so you need to replenish fluid reserves in a timely manner.
How to water the composition
The plants in the basket must be watered every day. If the room is hot, more often. For this you can use ordinary settled water. It is not recommended to water flowers with tap water. Ideally, the liquid should sit for about two hours.
As for the temperature of the irrigation liquid, it should not be high. Optimally – room temperature or a little lower. Cool water slows down the process of buds opening, while hot water, on the contrary, speeds it up.
How to water flowers in a basket on a sponge? Can be used:
- a regular bottle with a thin neck;
- a small watering can;
- teapot with a narrow spout.
The main rule is to prevent water from getting on the plant heads. You can and should wash the leaves from dust every few days. To do this, just wipe them gently with a damp cloth.
Important rules for caring for a flower basket
To keep the bouquet fresh longer in the warm season, put the arrangement on the balcony at night. Don’t forget to wipe off dust and wet clean the room. Try to remove strong sound stimuli from the room (it has been proven that they do not tolerate noise well and fade faster).
- store plants for a long time next to fruits (the latter begin to release ammonia over time);
- pull flowers out of a sponge;
- place baskets near heat sources;
- water the plant heads with water.
That's all. You don’t have to be a professional florist to have plants that will please you for as long as possible. All the above procedures will take no more than 5-10 minutes of your time.
Caring for flowers in a hat box
Flowers in a hat box require exactly the same care as flowers in a basket, with the exception of some details. Firstly, do not take the flowers out of the oasis; it is unlikely that you will be able to insert them back. Secondly, use a watering can with a long narrow spout so that when watering, you don’t get the box wet. Some florists use a syringe for this. Thirdly, it is better to immediately remove fallen leaves that fall on the sponge so that they do not begin to rot. The floral sponge from the basket or box can be reused. After the flowers wither, it needs to be washed and dried, and only then re-soaked with water.
Features of caring for different varieties of cut flowers
Do you know what, different flowers require different care and can stand in a sponge or vase different time. For example, a rose can last up to 30 days in a sponge if you water it boiled water. The carnation will delight you for two weeks without special care. Spring flowers such as irises, tulips and daffodils love cold moisture. The sponge in which they stand can be kept chilled with ice cubes. But peonies love warm water; to water them, it can be heated or left to room temperature. Freesias fade unevenly; those branches that dried out earlier must be removed from the composition. Hippeastrum is not the most durable flower; it can last in a sponge for about one week. Orchids are very sensitive: if you drop a drop on a bud while watering, the water that gets on the petals can cause stains.
Caring for tulips in a hat box
Tulips need to be moved from the box to the vase the next day
A bouquet of tulips in a hat box differs from the others in that a floral sponge is not placed at the bottom. Tulips are wrapped in a film with water and a nutrient mixture, which means that such a bouquet can last only one day without intervention. The next day, you should remove the flowers from the box, wash, trim and place in a vase with running but settled water and add a nutrient mixture.
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