Skeleton of Euplectella sp.: structural hierarchy from the nanoscale to the macroscale. Hierarchical assembly of the siliceous skeletal lattice of the hexactinellid sponge Euplectella aspergillum.

Challenger During the Years 1873–76 - Under the Command of Captain George S. Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Description of a new genus and species of sponge ( Euplectella aspergillum, O.). The present study reveals mechanisms of extraordinary adaptation to live in the abyss, paving the way towards further studies of this type at the intersection between fluid mechanics, organism biology and functional ecology. These patterns are arguably beneficial to the organism for selective filter feeding and sexual reproduction 11, 12. Our results indicate that the skeletal motifs reduce the overall hydrodynamic stress and support coherent internal recirculation patterns at low flow velocity. These in silico experiments reproduce the hydrodynamic conditions on the deep-sea floor where E. We use extreme flow simulations based on the ‘lattice Boltzmann’ method 7, featuring over fifty billion grid points and spanning four spatial decades. aspergillum underlie the optimization of the flow physics within and beyond its body cavity.

Here we address an unanswered question: whether, besides improving its mechanical properties, the skeletal motifs of E. Structural analyses dominate the literature, but hydrodynamic fields that surround and penetrate the sponge have remained largely unexplored. Its skeletal system is composed of amorphous hydrated silica and is arranged in a highly regular and hierarchical cylindrical lattice that begets exceptional flexibility and resilience to damage 3, 4, 5, 6. Since its discovery 1, 2, the deep-sea glass sponge Euplectella aspergillum has attracted interest in its mechanical properties and beauty.

Sea sponge moving