Sea spiders

class of marine arthropods

species of sea spiders

Nymphonidae is a family of sea spiders which has representatives in all the oceans. This family contains some 250 species, most of which are found in the genus Nymphon. Nymphonid bodies are between 1 and 15 mm long, the extent between the points of the legs reaching 150 mm. Most species are predators of hydroids. Like most sea spiders, species in this family have four pairs of legs in adults, except for Pentanymphon antarcticum, which has five pairs, and Sexanymphon mirabilis, which has six pairs.

Pycnogonidae is a family of sea spiders. This family includes two genera, Pycnogonum and Pentapycnon. This family is distributed worldwide.

Colossendeidae is a family of sea spiders (class Pycnogonida). This family includes more than 100 species distributed among six genera. These sea spiders inhabit the deep sea mostly but are also found in shallower waters, especially in Antarctic and Arctic waters.

Ammotheidae is a family of sea spiders. It is the most diverse sea spider family, with 297 species described in more than 20 genera, of which only Nymphopsis and Sericosura have been found to be monophyletic. Despite this internal taxonomic uncertainty, studies of 18S rRNA support the monophyly of the family, and its subdivision into two subfamilies, Achelinae and Ammotheinae.

REDIRECT Sea spider

species of sea spiders

Austrodecidae is a family of sea spiders. Austrodecids tend to be small measuring only 1–2 mm, characterized by an annulated proboscis with vertical slit-like mouth opening. It is the most basal family of the order Pantopoda, representing a lineage (Stiripasterida) sister to all other pantopod families (Eupantopodida).

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

Callipallenidae is a family of sea spiders.

Phoxichilidiidae is a family of sea spiders. About 150 species are described, almost all in the genus Anoplodactylus Wilson, 1878.

Pentapycnon is a genus of sea spiders (class Pycnogonida) in the family Pycnogonidae. As the name of this genus suggests, Pentapycnon is among the four genera of sea spiders with five pairs of legs in adults rather than the usual four leg pairs. This genus includes three species: P. bouvieri, P. charcoti, and P. geayi. The species P. bouvieri and P. charcoti are found in the Southern Ocean, whereas the species P. geayi is found in the Caribbean Sea, the tropical Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea. The species P. geayi is one of only two species of polymerous (i.e., extra-legged) sea spi

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

Rhopalorhynchus is a genus of sea spiders in the family Colossendeidae.

species of sea spiders

Pentanymphon is a monotypic genus of sea spider (class Pycnogonida) in the family Nymphonidae. The only species in this genus is Pentanymphon antarcticum. As the name of this genus suggests, this genus is among the four genera of sea spiders with five pairs of legs in adults instead of the usual four leg pairs. The species P. antarcticum was the second polymerous (i.e., extra-legged) sea spider to be discovered.

Sexanymphon is a monotypic genus of sea spider (class Pycnogonida) in the family Nymphonidae. The only species in this genus is Sexanymphon mirabilis. As the name of this genus implies, sea spiders in this genus feature six pairs of legs in adults instead of the usual four leg pairs. The species S. mirabilis is notable as one of only two species of sea spiders with six leg pairs. This species is found in the Southern Ocean.

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

species of sea spiders

species of sea spider

species of sea spiders

species of Pycnogonida

species of Pycnogonida

species of sea spiders