Deep beneath the ice-encrusted Arctic seas near the North Pole, atop an inactive deep-sea volcano, a community of sea sponges has survived for centuries by eating the fossils of ancient extinct worms.

Sponges are some of the simplest and least dangerous animals on Earth, but a new species seems to be shooting for a cooler reputation. A carnivorous "death-ball" sponge is among 30 new creatures found ...