23rd Feb, 2023 14:00
Cabinet of Curiosities Part II: From the Depths
AN INTERESTING PAIR OF VENUS FLOWER BASKETS
INTERESTING PAIR OF VENUS FLOWER BASKETS,
Euplectella aspergillum, glass sponge containing a pair of shrimps, 17cm long (2)
Footnote: The structure of this sponge is made from silica covered by a layer of living cells. It lives in the darkness fo the deep ocean (100-1,000m) and contains bioluminescent bacteria which cause it to glow in the dark and possibly attract food sources to the sponge. Also living symbiotically within the sponge are a pair of tiny shrimp which feed on the detritus of the sponge's food filtered from the seawater. The offspring of the shrimp leave the sponge to find their own sponge to occupy but the parents remain for the rest of their lives.
Provenance: the collection of Dr. J. Gordon Todd MBChB FRCA.
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Sold for £20
Estimated at £30 - £50
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