![]() They are found in all oceans of the world, although they are particularly common in Antarctic and Northern Pacific waters. Although the species Oopsacas minuta has been found in shallow water, others have been found much deeper. Glass sponges are relatively uncommon and are mostly found at depths from 450 to 900 metres (1,480 to 2,950 ft) below sea level. Some experts believe glass sponges are the longest-lived animals on earth these scientists tentatively estimate a maximum age of up to 15,000 years. They are usually classified along with other sponges in the phylum Porifera, but some researchers consider them sufficiently distinct to deserve their own phylum, Symplasma. Hexactinellid sponges are sponges with a skeleton made of four- and/or six-pointed siliceous spicules, often referred to as glass sponges. "Hexactinellae" from Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur, 1904
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