April 9, 2014
“The least
movement is of
importance to all
nature. The entire
ocean is affected by a
pebble.”
SEA CREATURE
FACT OF THE WEEK
-Blaise Pascal
SEA SPIDERS
There are more than 1,300 species of Sea Spiders currently known to taxonomists. All of them are members of
the class Pycnogonida, and they range in size from 1 mm (0.04 in) to over 90 cm (35 in).
Though Sea Spiders are
arthropods, meaning they have
external (“exo”) skeletons, segmented
bodies and jointed appendages, they
aren’t true spiders. This doesn’t stop
them from looking the part, with long
legs (usually eight) and small bodies.
Sea Spiders can be found either
walking along the seabed on their
spindly legs or swimming just above it.
They live in virtually all environments
around the world, including the Arctic
and Antarctic oceans.
Most Sea Spiders are
Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need
Lungs...
Because their bodies are so thin,
Sea Spiders have no need for a
respiratory system. Instead, they
circulate gases through diffusion.
carnivorous, but could be described
as a less destructive sort of carnivore.
They feed on their prey by inserting an
appendage called a proboscis into the
body and sucking out nourishment.
However, the prey generally survives.
[1]
Keeping Lunch Alive
The Sea Spider shown above is feeding
on a Sea Anemone that will most
likely be largely unharmed by the
process. Sea Spiders’ primary source
of nutrients is Sea Anemones.