Giant Sea Spider

A deep-sea arthropod with legs spanning over 70 cm in polar waters/Deep Sea & Ocean Life

Giant sea spiders (Colossendeis spp.) are marine arthropods of the class Pycnogonida found in the deep oceans and polar waters around Antarctica. Despite their name, they are not true spiders. In the frigid, oxygen-rich Antarctic waters, they grow to enormous sizes through a phenomenon called polar gigantism, with leg spans reaching over 70 cm. Their bodies are so small relative to their legs that their intestines and reproductive organs extend into the legs. They have a unique proboscis used to pierce and suck nutrients from soft-bodied invertebrates like anemones and bryozoans.