Gaby
Researchers exploring the deep ocean captured footage of a spider the size of a dinner plate wandering along the seafloor near the South Sandwich Islands—a chain of volcanic islands close to Antarctica, one of the most remote places on Earth. The spider was filmed at a depth of 2,104 meters. These marine creatures, known as pycnogonids, are distant relatives of land spiders, as reported by Live Science. Unlike their terrestrial cousins, these enormous sea spiders can span up to 51 centimeters across.
According to the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the spiders’ massive size is linked to deep-sea gigantism—a phenomenon in which deep-sea animals grow much larger than their shallow-water counterparts. In a Facebook post, the institute explained that immense pressure and low temperatures—conditions that would be insurmountable for land dwellers like humans—slow animals’ metabolisms and can allow some species to reach gigantic sizes.
Larger animals can also move faster and cover greater distances when searching for food or mates, which helps when both are scarce. Deep-sea gigantism is particularly common near the poles, where cooler temperatures contribute to slower metabolic rates. Scientists have identified about 1,500 species of sea spiders, but many more likely remain undiscovered. Sea spiders inhabit oceans worldwide and range in size from just a few millimeters to the diameter of a large plate.
According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the largest members of this group are typically found at depths between 2,200 and 4,000 meters. Instead of spinning webs or digging burrows like land spiders, sea spiders use a tubular mouth called a proboscis to feed on prey such as sea anemones and jellyfish. The footage of these deep-sea spiders was captured by remotely operated vehicle pilots during an expedition to the South Sandwich Islands. The research mission aimed to discover and describe new species living in these frigid waters.
