What are sea spiders?
Q: What are sea spiders?
A: Sea spiders are marine arthropods of the class Pycnogonida.
Q: How many species of sea spiders are there?
A: There are about 1,300 species of sea spiders.
Q: Where can sea spiders be found?
A: Sea spiders are found in all oceans, including the Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, and the Arctic Ocean.
Q: How big can sea spiders get?
A: Species found in coastal waters are usually small and have a leg span of about 1 inch (2.5 cm), those living at great depths, up to 24 inches (60 cm).
Q: Are sea spiders true spiders or arachnids?
A: Sea spiders are not true spiders, or even arachnids.
Q: How are sea spiders classified?
A: Sea spiders' traditional classification as chelicerates would put them closer to true spiders than to other well-known arthropod groups, such as insects or crustaceans.
Q: What does recent genetic evidence suggest about sea spiders' classification?
A: Recent genetic evidence suggests they may be an ancient sister group to all other living arthropods.
