Researchers Find Two New Salish Sea Spider Species

Researchers at the University of British Columbia identified two previously unknown sea spider species in the Salish Sea, the first new species described there in nearly a century. The small marine arthropods were collected in shallow waters off British Columbia between September 2023 and August 2024, and their identification combined physical examination with DNA analysis. Callipallene pilosuspedes has red eyes, a three-lipped mouth and curved spines that give its legs a hairy appearance; its specialized appendages can groom its body. Tanystylum kiixin, named for a nearby ancient Indigenous village, has less dexterous egg-carrying limbs and was found covered in debris and tiny parasites. Researchers say documenting these poorly understood animals helps establish what marine life is present as scientists investigate how climate change and other disturbances affect ecosystems.