The diving bell spider isn’t something from a science fiction movie, but rather the only arachnid that lives underwater in an air bubble. Technically speaking. it breathes air and then traps the gas in a dome-shaped web suspended between aquatic plants.
This bubble is what gives the diving bell spider its name. Until recently, researchers did not know how long the spiders could remain underwater and the true function of their air bubbles. We now know that the ‘diving bell’ actually works like a gill, extracting oxygen from the water. These tiny spiders only need to zip to the surface once a day to supplement their air supply, and can stay under water for over 24 hours.
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Previous research had suggested the spiders had to come to the surface as often as every 20-40 minutes throughout the day. Instead, we found that the spiders could sit still for long periods of time, continuing to use their diving bells to extract oxygen even from the most stagnant water on a hot day,” said Roger Seymour, Professor at the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide.
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