"Although it's not a real flower, its ever-changing shapes are more beautiful than most flowers. Wu, do you want to get some to take back?" Ge Lan heard the conversation between Xiang Yang and Wu Shiwen, and immediately asked seductively.
"This..." Wu Shiwen hesitated immediately and looked at Xiang Yang.
Xiang Yang smiled and said, "Sponges like to coexist with other organisms. Their shapes are very strange and often look very similar to their neighbors. If the sponge is fixed on a coral or a shell, then its shape will be very similar to that of a coral or a shell. In addition, there are also jars, fish, fans, and all kinds of strange shapes."
"In short, sponges are still very suitable for keeping in marine aquariums, but their specific value has a lot to do with their shape. Sponges of ordinary shapes are not valuable. Which ones are valuable? You are a businessman, so you should know better than me."
After Xiang Yang finished speaking, Wu Shiwen immediately understood.
What this means is that most sponges are worthless. The valuable sponges are those that look good and have beautiful and colorful colors.
Sponges have a very large family. They are the most primitive multicellular animals and have lived in the ocean 200 million years ago. Since then, they have developed into more than 10,000 species, accounting for one-fifteenth of all marine animal species. They are distributed from the intertidal zone to the deep sea, from tropical oceans to the Antarctic glacial sea.
Moreover, it is said that sponges can live not only in the ocean, but also in rivers and lakes. The prosperity of their entire family is comparable to that of Squidward.
"Brother Yang, I want to pick some, but this is Antarctica. Are you sure the sponges I bring back from here can still survive when I return to Qinglongwan?" Wu Shiwen said with some concern.
Before Xiang Yang could say anything, Ge Lan's eyes lit up immediately. "Wu, my dear friend, you don't have to worry about this. My sponges have extremely strong vitality. Not only can you bring it back to your hometown, you can even roast it on the fire and it will still be alive and well."
"Brother Yang?" Wu Shiwen obviously did not believe Ge Lan's words and still looked at Xiang Yang.
Xiang Yang thought for a moment and said, "The sponge is the largest marine organism in the entire ocean. The reason why it has such a huge vitality is inseparable from its vitality and strong regeneration ability. Although Brother Ge Lan's words are a bit exaggerated, you really don't need to worry that the sponge will die due to climate unsuitability."
Someone once did an experiment in which he used a hydraulic press to crush a sponge into pieces and then threw all the pieces into the sea.
After a period of time, the fragments turned into independent sponges. After another period of time, each independent sponge grew a complete body again. This is simply a miracle of life.
Some scientists did not believe in it and crushed the orange sponge and yellow sponge and then mixed them together.
As a result, scientists discovered that these two different species of sponges can be rearranged and aggregated according to their respective species to form new orange sponges and yellow sponges.
When scientists observed the crushed sponge under a microscope, they found that the cells of the sponge actually gathered together in groups of three or five, thus forming new sponges.
"Okay, then let me pick a few and see." Wu Shiwen said.
With Xiang Yang's guarantee, Wu Shiwen obviously had great confidence. He was confident in his own vision and was not afraid that the goods he picked would not be sold.
Ge Lan immediately showed a harmless smile on his face, "Of course, take whatever you like, I'll give it to you at the lowest price, after all, we are friends."
Wu Shiwen nodded, walked to the water tank, and prepared to reach in.
"stop."
"Wait a moment."
"stop."
Xiang Yang, Gao Chuang, and Ge Lan were all startled by Wu Shiwen's actions and shouted loudly.
"What's wrong?" Wu Shiwen turned around and asked with a puzzled look on his face: "Didn't you let me pick first? Why are you asking me to stop?"
"You're going to pick it up with your hands like this? Do you still want your hands?" Xiang Yang said with a wry smile.
Wu Shiwen asked doubtfully, "Can't I just pick it up with my hands?"
Xiang Yang nodded. "Sponges can secrete a substance similar to venom. This is the sponge's defense method. It is used to fight back against enemies or kill toxic microorganisms in the surrounding seawater, making the seawater around the sponge cleaner. This is also the main reason why many people like to raise some sponges in marine aquariums."
Wu Shiwen's face immediately changed when he heard this, "Poisonous?"
"It'll be fine as long as you don't touch it directly with your hands." Xiang Yang said.
Speaking of which, sponges are really interesting marine creatures.
Some algae like to grow on sponges, and sponges are also happy to turn their entire bodies green. At first glance, they look like beautiful algae.
There are also some sand crabs that like to tear sponges into pieces and then stick them on their shells. The sponges are also happy to do so. Not only do they not resist, but they also take root directly on the sand crabs and grow, making the sand crabs look like they are wearing a piece of armor. The sponges also secrete venom to help the sand crabs defend against enemies.
Sponges seem to get along very well with all marine life.
Even oysters, sea clams, and some fish are happy to have sponges attached to their bodies.
The sponge's possession is not in vain. It secretes venom and a foul-smelling gas to help the host repel or scare away ferocious marine predators.
Moreover, it is worth mentioning that sponges also have many benefits for humans. Not only can they be used in daily life, but also because sponges contain natural antibiotics that can kill tuberculosis bacteria, they can treat rheumatism and nervous system diseases.
What is even more surprising to humans is that there are a variety of anti-cancer substances in the sponge, some of which have even been extracted by humans and are being widely used in clinical practice.
Wu Shiwen rubbed his hands and asked, "Brother Yang, is there anything else you should pay attention to? You might as well tell me all at once."
“No more.”
Xiang Yang smiled and said, "Sponge is a great treasure left to mankind by nature. Apart from releasing a substance similar to venom, there is basically nothing to be careful about. Just don't touch it directly with your hands."
"Okay, then I feel relieved. By the way, how much do these sponges cost?" Wu Shiwen walked towards the water tank and asked Ge Lan.
Ge Lan grinned, "Wu, you are Gao's friend, which means you are my friend. I don't make any money from doing business with my friends. Well, two thousand dollars per cubic meter, what do you think?"
"puff."
A captain was drinking water, and the water in his mouth sprayed everywhere.
Xiang Yang also glared at Ge Lan, his mouth twitching, not knowing what to say.
"What? This is a sponge from the deep sea of Antarctica. Isn't it worth two thousand dollars per cubic meter?" Ge Lan said somewhat unhappily.