Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Nature: Now Bob is A Spider Down Under

Newly-discovered species of sea spiders which only emerge during low tide in Australia is named after reggae music legend Bob Marley.
The species was first discovered in January 2009 when the ocean along the coast of Queensland subsided and revealed a population of water-adapted spiders.
Researchers describe the species as a new species in the scientific world and quickly associate its emergence with the 1973 Bob Marley song, "High Tide or Low Tide".
A study of the Bob Marley spider – scientifically listed as Desis bobmarleyi – was recently published in "Journal of Evolutionary Systematics".
The study’s co-author Dr Barbara Baehr said the intertidal spider had adapted to underwater life by hiding in shells during tides.
"To breathe, they build air space. Once the sea water receded, they went out and hunted small invertebrates that surround the surface of rocks and plants nearby," said Dr. Barbara Baehr.
Dr Baehr, of the Queensland Museum, said the spider is characterized by the dominant red-brown color, while their feet are orange brown and covered with a dense layer of long, thin and dark gray hair structures.
She also said the female of the spider appears to be larger in size with the studied specimens being nearly 9mm in size, while the males are about 6mm in size.

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