Two newly discovered sea spider species are filling key knowledge gaps about an obscure animal family
Researchers have identified two new species of sea spiders in the Salish Sea, marking the first such discovery in the region in nearly a century. The study highlights the lack of baseline data on marine invertebrates, which is essential for understanding the impact of climate change.
Why it matters
Identifying new species is critical for conservation efforts and understanding how marine ecosystems respond to environmental stressors like climate change.
Meet two new sea spiders: one with hairy feet and red eyes, and one so poor at grooming that tiny parasites cover its body.
Sea spiders look a lot like the spiders on land, yet they spend their whole lives in the ocean. Along the coast of British Columbia, scientists know little about them.
Researchers have now formally described two species from the Salish Sea, which stretches from the Strait of Georgia to Puget Sound in Washington state.
They’re the first new sea spiders named from there in almost a century, and one of them can’t groom itself. It goes through life coated in dirt, debris, and tiny parasites of its own.
Cormac Toler-Scott led the work as part of his master’s degree in zoology at the University of British Columbia ( UBC ). Three UBC colleagues joined him, including Brian Leander, who supervised the project.
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