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Since it first aired back in 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has been one of the most popular cartoons around the world.
The Nickelodeon series follows the main character, a yellow sea sponge named SpongeBob and his best friend, a pink sea star named Patrick Star on their adventures around Bikini Bottom.
Now, marine scientists have 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.
Christopher Mah, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shared his findings on Twitter, joking: 'I normally avoid these refs... but WOW. REAL LIFE SpongeBob and Patrick!'
Marine scientists have 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 animals were spotted by a remotely operated vehicle (ROVs), sent from the NOAA's Okeanos Explorer ship.
Mr Mah explained that they are a Hertwigia (sponge) and Chondraster (starfish).
Speaking to Insider, he added: 'I thought it would be funny to make the comparison, which for once was actually kind of comparable to the iconic images/colors of the cartoon characters.
The Nickelodeon series follows the main character, a yellow sea sponge named SpongeBob and his best friend, a pink sea star named Patrick Star on their adventures around Bikini Bottom
'As a biologist who specializes in sea stars, most depictions of Patrick and Spongebob are incorrect.'
Several impressed Twitter users responded to the photo, with one joking that the pair had 'frozen' just before the
