Name
Pycnogonida
sea spider
Framing
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Pycnogonida
Habitat
Marine aquatic, benthic (often on algae or other animals such as anemones, corals, or tunicates)
Feeding
Most predators, some detritivores and herbivores (algae)
Distribution
Distributed throughout the world's seas, from intertidal zones to 7,000 m deep
Conservation status
Not evaluated
Additional information
Body divided into cephalon, trunk and abdomen. Anterior cephalon with proboscis and three pairs of appendages: chelicerae, palps, and ovigerous. Four eyes between cephalon and trunk. Trunk with 4-6 metameres, each with a pair of legs. Very small abdomen.
Additional information
Bibliography
- Arnaud F. & Bamber, R.N. (1987). The biology of the Pycnogonida. En Advances in marine biology, Vol. 24 (pp. 1-96). Blaxter, J.H.S. & Southward, A.J. (Eds.). Academic Press, Nueva York.
- Brenneis, G., Bogomolova, E.V., Arango, C.P. & Krapp, F. (2017). From egg to “no-body”: an overview and revision of developmental pathways in the ancient arthropod lineage Pycnogonida. Frontiers in Zoology 14: 6. DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0192-2 - Cano-Sánchez, E. & López-González, P.J. (2015). Orden Pantopoda. Revista IDE@-SEA, 22, 1-13. Accesible en: http://sea-entomologia.org/IDE@/revista_22.pdf - Dietz, L., Dömel, J.S., Leese, F., Lehmann, T. & Melzeer, R. (2018). Feeding ecology in sea spiders (Arthropoda: Pycnogonida): what do we know? Frontiers in Zoology, 15, 7. DOI: 10.1186/s12983-018-0250-4- Soler-Membrives, A. & Munilla, T. (2015=. PYCNOIB: Biodiversity and biogeography of Iberian Pycnogonids. PLoS ONE 10(3): e0120818. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120818