Deep sea Starfish filmed by Schmidt Ocean Institute goes viral for ‘big bottom’ resembling SpongeBob’s Patrick
A rarely-seen deep sea creature has become an internet sensation after striking an uncanny resemblance to a much-loved children’s TV character.
Schmidt Ocean Institute shared video footage of its latest expedition to the Underwater Oases of Mar Del Plata Canyon in Argentina, which reaches estimated depths of 3500 meters.
In the YouTube video, after the deep-sea rover roams along the sea floor past coral mounds and fish, it hovers over a bright orange starfish with two symmetrical bumps on it which many were quick to point out looked like a human buttocks.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The images from 1000 meters deep have ignited imaginations all around the world, with many claiming that the starfish looks like Patrick Star from the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants.
“It’s big-bottomed Patrick!!” one person commented.
“Patrick’s lost his pants!” a second person wrote.
“I love that people from all over the world are here to see Patrick,” another commented.
“There’s a gym at the bottom of the sea,” a fourth joked.
The cartoon character of Patrick is a naïve and overweight pink starfish, also the best friend of SpongeBob — who’s the main character in the famous Nickelodeon series which first aired in 1999.
The heartwarming comparison has sparked hilarity online, with accounts joking they’ve found the real Patrick and one person even crocheting the starfish.
This is not the first time scientists have discovered sea creatures that closely resemble the SpongeBob series.
In 2021, marine scientists spotted a yellow sea sponge and pink starfish seemingly hanging out together, according to The Daily Mail.
The eye-cathcing duo were spotted on the side of an underwater mountain around 200 miles east of New York City.
“I normally avoid these refs... but WOW. REAL LIFE SpongeBob and Patrick!” he said.
Experts have previously explained the reason why starfish may sometimes appear to have a human-like bum.
“Sea stars sometimes relax their arms, such as when they are eating,” Nate Jaros, curator of fish and invertebrates at the Aquarium of the Pacific, said, according to The Daily Mail.
“Sometimes gravity can cause internal components to slump,” he explained.
Originally published on PerthNow
