Discovery and Habitat
Three newly-discovered sea spider species from the genus were found near methane seeps off the coasts of and , showcasing a unique dietary adaptation to their dark, deep-sea habitat.
These spiders cultivate and feed on bacteria that metabolize methane, a strategy that enables them to thrive in environments where sunlight is absent and conventional food sources are scarce.
Symbiosis and Research Findings
The sea spiders' exoskeletons host dense arrays of bacteria that convert methane into energy, which the spiders then consume, indicating a novel form of farming and reliance on chemosynthetic bacteria for nutrition.
Research involving isotopic labeling confirmed that the sea spiders actively consume the methane-oxidizing bacteria, with significant carbon incorporation from these microbes into the spiders' digestive tissues, underscoring the symbiotic relationship's depth.