UBC researchers describe two new sea spider species discovered in the Salish Sea near Vancouver

The Story

Two previously undocumented sea spider species have been discovered in the Salish Sea, including near Vancouver, according to researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC). UBC’s Alex Walls reports the finds include a species with hairy legs and red eyes, described as “hairy-legged, red-eyed sea spiders newly discovered by UBC researchers.”

Walls writes the discoveries are the first in almost a century. Cromac Toler-Scott, lead author of the study, carried out the work as part of his master’s degree in zoology at UBC and focused on how sea spiders—marine invertebrates—may be affected by climate change and human disturbance. He said that research is needed because people do not know much about which species are present in the Salish Sea and how they live.

Identifying species is also tied to protection efforts, Toler-Scott said, explaining that understanding how these organisms are influenced by climate change requires being able to recognize “key elements of the ecosystem.” UBC notes the study represents the first comprehensive examination of sea spiders in the Salish Sea that combines detailed imaging with DNA analysis.

The researchers identified one new species as Callipallene pilosuspedes, with UBC saying the name is a play on Latin referring to “hairy feet” in tribute to the long, curved spines on the spider’s lower legs. UBC also says the animals breathe through their skin and that males rear the young.

For reproduction, UBC describes a distinctive system in which females have ovaries spread throughout their limbs that produce eggs, which then “pop out” of a dedicated pore. During mating, UBC says males use limbs at the base of the head called “ovigers” to scoop up the eggs, dab them with a glue secreted from the legs, and stick the eggs in clusters of egg sacs for rearing. UBC’s Walls further notes that the ovigers are highly dexterous and can also function as a grooming tool for the animal, helping it comb itself to clean.

The second new species was named Tantystylum kiixin, UBC says, with the specific name drawn from an Indigenous village site near where specimens were first collected. UBC notes the word is pronounced “kee-hin,” and that it comes from the sound of waves crashing at the base of the village site. UBC says this species’ egg-carrying limbs are smaller and less dexterous, leaving it less able to groom itself effectively.

According to UBC, the research team collected the new species between September 2023 and August 2024. Sampling included dives up to 18 metres deep, in areas that comprised Quadra Island, Vancouver, Bamfield and Victoria, with specimens gathered from different habitats and locations in the Salish Sea.

Toler-Scott said additional diversity is likely still to be documented. He said he conducted only one field season but that “there’s definitely more diversity out there that we haven’t documented.” The study was published in Organisms Diversity & Evolution.

The findings underscore how much remains unknown about marine invertebrates in the region, even in waters close to urban centres, and they provide a new baseline for future research on the effects of environmental change on Salish Sea ecosystems.

UBC researchers said the species naming and descriptions highlight both biological traits and local place-based context connected to where specimens were collected.