Aquatic Spiders That Swim and Spin Use Clever Survival Strategies

Enlarge / Of all THE aquatic spiders, THE diving Bell spider East THE only A known has survive almost entirely submarine, using bubbles of air he brought down Since THE surface. Oxford Scientist via Getty

Shrubs, tool sheds, basements - these are places A could to wait for has find spiders. But What about THE beach? Or In A flow? A few spiders TO DO their houses close Or, more rarely, In water: to return In THE base of kelp stems, spinning waterproof cocoons In ponds Or some lakes, hidden below pebbles has THE sea ​​side Or stream bank.

“Spiders are surprisingly adaptable, which East A of THE the reasons they can live This environment," said Ximena Nelson, A behavioral biologist has THE University of Canterbury In Christchurch, New Zeeland.

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Discovery aquatic Or semi-aquatic spiders East difficult work, Nelson said: She And A student to have spent four years chasing A jump spider known as Marpissa marina around THE pebble sea ​​side beaches he love, but Also often, as Soon as they manage has find A he disappears Again below rocks. And Unfortunately, a few aquatic spiders can disappear quite Before they come has scientists' attention, as their aqueous habitats shrivel due has climate change And other human activities.

What scientists TO DO know East that dozens of describe spider species spend has less a few of their time In Or close THE water, And more are almost certainly on hold Discovery, said Sarah The crews, A arachnologist has THE California Academy of Sciences In San Francis. He Also appears that spiders evolved aquatic preferences on several distinct occasions during THE history of This arthropod order. Crews And colleagues interrogates spiders And reported In 2019 that 21 taxonomic families include semi-aquatic species, suggesting that THE evolutionary event occurred several independent times. Only A boasting a few, not even 0.3 percent of describe spider species - are shore spiders; a lot more to have has been find close costs water, said Nelson.

It is not clear What would be induce successful earthly habitation creatures has move has aqueous habitats. Spiders, as A band, probably evolved about 400 million years There is Since bigger creatures that had recently LEFT THE water. These arthropods missing THE skinny size tree by modern spiders. Probably, THE spiders that later income has A life aquatic were strongly drawn by something has eat there, Or led by unsafe terms on to land, said Geerat Vermeij, A paleobiologist And teacher skilled has THE University of California, Davis — because water would be to have present major survival challenges.

"From they depend on air SO a lot, they are seriously limit In if they can TO DO Nothing has all When they are overwhelmed, other that just hard he out," said Vermeij. Newly aquatic spiders would be to have had has compete with predators better adapted has aqueous terms, such as the crustaceans, with competition particularly fierce In THE oceans, Vermeij said. And if water floods A spiders air traffic system, he will die, SO adaptations were obviously necessary.

But spiders as A band Already possess several water friendly features, suggests Crews. They to have waxy, water repellent the exteriors, often covered In Hair that conveniently trap air bubbles. Even having eight legs East useful, said Nelson: Spiders can distribute their weight GOOD while they slide through A Washington...