RIO – The comparison of animals recorded by remote-controlled equipment and two famous cartoon characters was a must for biologist Christopher Mah. In a post on his Twitter profile, the starfish expert explained that he doesn’t usually make this type of signal, but this time it can’t be undone. So exclaimed the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) affiliated researcher, “SpongeBob and Patrick in real life!” His post resonated, and so far it has reached 1.5 thousand likes.
– The colors are so distinctive and so close to the colors of the characters in the cartoon that I just felt the comparison needed to be made!! Admission of the researcher to GLOBO.
The biologist explained that when he sees references to SpongeBob and Patrick, the characters don’t actually correspond to the real biology of the animals.
“It’s clear that SpongeBob is modeled after a rectangular cleaning sponge and Patrick has nothing to do with a real starfish,” he said. But it does raise awareness of these unusual habitats. Despite the similarity of colors with famous characters, it is possible that these two animals, the sponge and the starfish, have not yet been recorded or are new species. We still do not know!
The animals were photographed side by side, similar to the Nickelondeon-produced Friends, on Tuesday by Okeanos Explorer — as part of the marine expedition being developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) into the depths of the Atlantic. Mah identified the sponge as being of the genus Hertwigia, while the pink star is Chondraster. On the Business Insider portal, he told the world that the couple was on the slope of an underwater mountain Retriever, 200 miles from New York City.
The yellow shade of the sponge impressed the biologist, who said that it was unusual for a creature to live in such a deep habitat. According to him, the colors most present in that area are orange or white, which helps camouflage in a place without much light. The same question applies to a star, which can generally be dark pink, light pink, or white. But for Mah, the bright tone noted next to “SpongeBob” was more reminiscent of “Patrick”.
Despite the similarities noted by the researcher, he listed some important differences. Perhaps the main reason is the fact that starfish are carnivores, and among the animals that feed on them, specifically sea sponges. Patrick is able to tighten his stomach and digest his prey with some enzymes. Therefore, the approximation between them is likely due to the interest of the pink object in capturing the color yellow.
He noted that “this type of sea star, of the genus Condraster, is a predator of sponges, and it may have approached yellow sponges, of the genus Hertogia, to feed.” “Your scientific names are like Homo, as they are in Homo sapiens. However… (laughs) Well, if starfish were a sponge’s best friend, perhaps they would devour them!”
Another difference has to do with the depth in which they live. Both sponges and starfish are found in far fewer areas than children’s cartoons make them look like. The pair in the photo were, for example, at a depth of 1,885 meters.
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