‘The stuff of nightmares’: two new species of sea spiders discovered off the B.C. coast

Squeamish Salish swimmers should take note, as the discovery of two new sea spider species off the coast of British Columbia may not be the pleasant experience one might hope for. According to UBC researchers, these tiny hairy-legged, red-eyed creatures are the first to be documented in the Salish Sea in nearly a century. Lead researcher Cormac Toler-Scott explained that the sea spiders were collected between September 2023 and August 2024 in various locations around Vancouver, Quadra Island, Bamfield, Victoria, and others.

One of the newly discovered species, Callipallene pilosuspedes, is named after its hairy feet and possesses long, curved spines on its lower legs. It also features red eyes, a short proboscis with claw-like appendages for grasping and biting food, and a mouth lined with sensory tendrils resembling a miniature Sarlacc pit. Additionally, the species has specialized appendages for self-grooming.

The second species, Tanystylum kiixin, is named in honor of an ancient Indigenous village near its discovery location. Unlike Callipallene pilosuspedes, this sea spider has small limbs and cannot groom itself effectively, often appearing covered in debris and tiny parasites, which creates a "mini-ecosystem within an ecosystem within an ecosystem."