For the first time in nearly a century, new sea spider species have been found in the Salish Sea. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have identified and named two new marine invertebrates: callipallene pilosuspedes and tanystylum kiixin. They were collected between September 2023 and August 2024 during dives around Quadra Island, Vancouver, Bamfield and Victoria. What makes these critters unique from other sea spiders? Firstly, the callipallene pilosuspedes has very hairy feet, and was named for such. It has red eyes, a short proboscis with claws, and a triangular, three-lipped mouth covered in sensory tendrils. The hairy-legged sea spider also uses highly dexterous ovigers to groom itself. Tanystylum kiixin is named after an ancient Indigenous village site it was found near. This specimen has smaller and less dexterous limbs. It was found covered in tiny parasites, which researchers describe as an ecosystem within an ecosystem within an ecosystem. In order to determine whether a new species has been discovered, researchers analyze DNA sequences in addition to noting physical differences. The study’s lead author Cormac Toler-Scott says species discovery happens fairly often with marine invertebrates, but sea spiders specifically are very understudied. There are only about 1,400 known species of sea spider, compared to 50,000 terrestrial spiders. “There aren’t very many species of sea spider that have been described, and that’s largely due to the fact that they’re marine and they’re very small and hard to find,” he told CTV News. “It’s been a really long time since anyone found a new species here, and they are two of only 20 total sea spider species in this area. So, it’s an important addition to our baseline understanding of biodiversity in the Salish Sea and the west coast of Vancouver Island.” Next, Toler-Scott is working on a project describing the life stages and behaviour of the tanystylum kiixin. Once these species are better understood, researchers can start looking into bigger-picture questions like how climate change is impacting sea spiders. A UBC media release warns now that the team has generated genetic data for several species that have never been sequenced before, there are more sea spiders to discover—or “more nightmare fuel awaits.” “People might be afraid of the idea of a spider in the ocean. They’re completely harmless, and they’re very cool organisms,” Toler-Scott countered. “If you get a chance to really look at them closely, they have a unique anatomy. They’re very slow moving, and so if you come across one, you know, take a moment to check it out, look at it with a magnifying glass and appreciate it because it’s not going to hurt you. It’s not going to you know bite you or anything.”
