Diving Bell SpiderArgyroneta aquatica
Quick facts
- Rarity
- Rare
- Active during
- Night
- Found in
- Pollywog Cove
- Length
- 0.5 in
- Wingspan
- 1 in
From the field notes
The Diving Bell
They are the only spider species that live their lives completely underwater. To pull this off, they weave a fine silk net between water plants to create a dry pocket of air where they live.
Hunting
Waiting in their air pocket, they use their anchor threads as tripwires. When mosquito larvae or water mites brush past, they dart out and strike. Because they cannot digest underwater, they drag their prey into the bubble to eat.
Replenishing Oxygen
They swim to the surface and trap air in the dense, water-repellent hairs covering their abdomens. They carry the bubbles down one by one to inflate their silky dome.
Manufactured Gills
The silk-wrapped bubble acts like a physical gill. As the spider breathes, the dropping pressure pulls fresh oxygen directly from the surrounding water, replenishing the air and letting them stay submerged for over a day.
Nursery
Their diving bell is a safe haven where they rest, hide from passing fish, and digest their meals. Mother spiders even build an extra-sturdy bell divided into two rooms to serve as an oxygen-rich nursery for their tiny spiderlings!