From the Depths of the Ocean: A Strange Creature with Huge Claws Discovered in Antarctica

Instead of a mouth, it has a proboscis, and it breathes through its legs.

In the depths of the sea near Antarctica, a yellow spider-like creature with four black eyes and large claws has been discovered. Research on this mysterious arthropod, which was caught by scientists for the first time, was published in the journal ZooKeys.

It was found in the Ross Sea at a depth of approximately 570 meters. Apparently, this is one of the varieties of sea spiders. The new species has been named Austropallene halanychi.

The creature feeds using its proboscis, which replaces its mouth, and breathes through its legs. However, what impressed biologists the most were its large claws. They are likely needed for capturing soft food such as anemones and worms.

Austropallene halanychi reach about one centimeter in length, while their legs stretch nearly three centimeters. However, these are quite modest figures for sea spiders, some of which can grow up to 60 centimeters.

In the harsh Antarctic conditions, many scientists still use old methods. This spider was pulled up using a regular net thrown deep into the water. They preserve every captured specimen.