05-08-2025
He'd need some LARGE SquarePants: Footage of a sea star with a 'big bottom' sparks hilarity as it's compared to SpongeBob's Patrick
The sea floor is home to all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures.
But one in particular has become an online sensation, thanks to its impressive 'buttocks'.
A big–bottomed sea star has been spotted more than 1,000 metres (3,280ft) below the waves.
And it appears to have a backside that will make even the most avid gymgoer jealous.
This has led many baffled viewers to compare the creature to Patrick from the animated series Spongebob Squarepants.
Commenting on a YouTube live feed, one user wrote: 'Patrick's lost his pants!' while another demanded: 'We want the big–bottomed Patrick'.
Other hilarious comments included: 'There's a gym at the bottom of the sea', 'Baby's got back', 'This butt looks better than most' and 'That *peach emoji* needs to be studied'.
The orange creature was captured on camera as part of an Argentine–American scientific mission to explore the Mar del Plata canyon.
This is one of Argentina's largest and deepest underwater canyons that plunges to 3,500 metres (11,482ft) deep.
Researchers are using a remotely–operated vehicle (ROV) to explore its depths while transmitting a livestream of what they come across.
So far they have broadcast a range of amazing animals including a bright red sea cucumber, octopus, king crab and incredible coral – but none have generated as much interest as the sea star.
The creature features two symmetrical bumps on its back, bearing an uncanny resemblance to buttocks.
Its vibrant colour also means it looks like Patrick, a naïve and overweight pink sea star that is best friends with a yellow sea sponge in the famous Nickelodeon series which first aired back in 1999.
The sea star now even has its own account on X, with the username 'Starbutt', where users have been sharing memes about the creature.
One person has even crocheted a version of the big–bottomed marine invertebrate.
This is the first time that humans have been able to view this underwater oasis in real time.
It is home to such an abundance of life because it is where a cold, nutrient–rich current converges with a warm, salty current.
Together, they form 'one of the most energetic regions in our global Ocean', according to the Schmidt Ocean Institute.
The 20–day expedition, which will end on August 10, involves 25 scientists.
Expedition leader Daniel Lauretta said: 'The fact that anyone can connect from home and see what we are seeing live is a unique opportunity.
'Science is no longer something distant or inaccessible, but becomes part of everyday life.'
Along with capturing images and providing a livestream the ROV, called SuBastian, has been collecting biological samples with its robotic arms.
This is not the first time scientists have discovered a sea creature that resembles something from the Spongebob series.
Back in 2021, marine scientists spotted a yellow sea sponge and pink sea star hanging out together in real life.
Marine scientists have previously spotted a yellow sea sponge and pink sea star in 'real life'. The adorable duo were spotted on the side of an underwater mountain called Retriever seamount, around 200 miles east of New York City
The adorable duo were spotted on the side of an underwater mountain called Retriever seamount, around 200 miles east of New York City.
Christopher Mah, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shared his findings on X, joking: 'I normally avoid these refs... but WOW. REAL LIFE SpongeBob and Patrick!'
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.
He explained that sometimes gravity can 'cause internal components to slump'.
Starfish or sea star?
Scientists recently made the decision to change the name 'starfish' to 'sea star' because they're not actually fish.
NOAA explained: 'Sea stars live underwater, but that is where their resemblance to fish ends. They do not have gills, scales, or fins. Sea stars live only in saltwater. Sea water, instead of blood, is actually used to pump nutrients through their bodies via a 'water vascular system.'
'Also, sea stars move by using tiny tube feet located on the underside of their bodies. Adult sunflower sea stars can move at the astonishing speed of one meter per minute using 15,000 tube feet. Tube feet also help sea stars hold their prey.
'Sea stars are related to sand dollars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers, all of which are echinoderms, meaning that they have five–point radial symmetry.
'However, this does not mean that all sea stars have five arms and species with 10, 20, or even 40 arms exist! If one of these arms is lost, a sea star has the amazingly ability to regenerate it.'
