The real-life versions of SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick Star have been captured on camera.
Marine biologist Christopher Mah shared the image, which was taken by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration remotely operated deep-sea vehicle on Tuesday. “*laugh* I normally avoid these refs..but WOW. REAL LIFE Sponge bob and Patrick!” he wrote.
The pair was seen sitting side-by-side on an underwater mountain called Retriever Seamount, about 200 miles east of New York City, according to Business Insider. The image was taken more than a mile below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.
“I thought it would be funny to make the comparison, which for once was actually kind of comparable to the iconic images/colors of the cartoon characters,” Mah told the publication. “As a biologist who specializes in sea stars, most depictions of Patrick and Spongebob are incorrect.”
He explained that most sea sponges found in the deep sea are orange or white for camouflage purposes, and not yellow, nor found in SpongeBob’s boxy shape. The sponge in the image belongs to the genus Hertwigia, while the pink sea star is a Chondraster star, which Mah said, “was a bright pink that strongly evoked Patrick.”
Unfortunately, the Chondraster are carnivores and like to eat sea sponges. Their five arms feature tiny suckers that permit the organism to move across the ocean floor and attach and eat other creatures.
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