Science News | See how a sea sponge ‘sneezes’ to clear gunk from its pores | Science News @ScienceNewsMag | Uploaded August 2022 | Updated October 2024, 7 hours ago.
The Caribbean tube sponge (Aplysina archeri) uses contractions — called "sneezes" — to help eject mucus from its pores, or ostia. As the time-lapse video zooms in closer, it’s possible to see tiny specks of debris floating out of these pores and traveling along a “mucus highway” where they collect into stringy clumps of goo floating above the surface of the sponge. In real time, this sponge takes between 20 and 50 minutes to complete a sneeze.
Read more: sciencenews.org/article/sea-sponge-snot-rocket-mucus-pore
Video: N.A. Kornder et al/Current Biology 2022