Live Sea Spider (Pycnogonum spp.)
Please note this is a live marine specimen.
The Sea Spider (Pycnogonum spp.) is a delicate and fascinating marine arthropod found along the middle to lower shore of Maine’s rocky coast, often hidden beneath seaweed and stones. Despite their name, sea spiders are not true spiders but distant relatives, belonging to their own unique class of marine invertebrates known as Pycnogonida. These small, long-legged creatures feed on soft-bodied invertebrates such as sea anemones, making them valuable subjects for marine biology study, classroom observation, and ecological research. Each specimen is sustainably hand-collected from the Gulf of Maine’s intertidal zone.
Key Facts:
Common name: Sea spider
Scientific name: Pycnogonum spp.
Locations: Middle–lower shore under rocks and seaweed
Seasonality: Available all year
Colors: Yellow, red, purple, brown, black, white
Size: ¼”
Collected: By hand
Quantity: Sold by the each
Note: This is a live marine specimen. Natural variations in size, color, and appearance from photos should be expected.
Live Sea Spider (Pycnogonum spp.)
Please note this is a live marine specimen.
The Sea Spider (Pycnogonum spp.) is a delicate and fascinating marine arthropod found along the middle to lower shore of Maine’s rocky coast, often hidden beneath seaweed and stones. Despite their name, sea spiders are not true spiders but distant relatives, belonging to their own unique class of marine invertebrates known as Pycnogonida. These small, long-legged creatures feed on soft-bodied invertebrates such as sea anemones, making them valuable subjects for marine biology study, classroom observation, and ecological research. Each specimen is sustainably hand-collected from the Gulf of Maine’s intertidal zone.
Key Facts:
Common name: Sea spider
Scientific name: Pycnogonum spp.
Locations: Middle–lower shore under rocks and seaweed
Seasonality: Available all year
Colors: Yellow, red, purple, brown, black, white
Size: ¼”
Collected: By hand
Quantity: Sold by the each
Note: This is a live marine specimen. Natural variations in size, color, and appearance from photos should be expected.
See the habitat and characteristics of an Anemone Sea Spider, genus Pyncnogonium with Tidepool Tim of Gulf of Maine, Inc. These sea spiders were found under some intertidal rocks in March as they pair up to mate and spawn.
Tidepool Tim says, “Sea spiders as big as dinner plates have been found here in the Gulf of Maine! These are a much smaller variety. Although they have eight legs, they aren’t arachnids. They’re mostly legs--they even breathe through the surface of their legs, and store their reproductive organs there. What’s amazing about sea spiders is that their heart doesn’t pump their blood. The job is done by their guts.”
