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Fish-Eating Spiders More Common Than Thought

Posted by samzenpus on from the we're-going-to-need-a-bigger-boat dept.

sciencehabit (1205606) writes "Lying in wait at the water's edge, four legs on a leaf and four legs feeling the water for vibrations, the Dolomedes triton spider can catch a fish twice its size in an instant. Holding on tight, it injects its aquatic prey with a deadly dose of venom and drags it to dry land, where it spends hours pumping it full of digestive enzymes and slurping up the fish's liquefied flesh. Fish-eating spiders sound like something out of a nightmare, but until recently, scientists were pretty sure only a few kinds of arachnids could do it. Now, a new survey shows that at least 26 species of spiders know how to fish—and they live on every continent except for Antarctica."

39 comments

  1. Re:what will the Earth evolve next? by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...a Republican who believes in Evolution?

    Well, that would seem like a fish out of water.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  2. I can do that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Pfft, big deal. I can eat fish, too. Spiders are just being assholes about it.

  3. Re:what will the Earth evolve next? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    a Republican who believes in Evolution?

    There are thousands of Republicans that believe in evolution.

  4. Fish is not happy by ag0ny · · Score: 3, Funny

    The fish in TFA photo doesn't seem to be very happy about being in the news.

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    My site
    1. Re:Fish is not happy by nsuccorso · · Score: 1

      That's why he's filling out one of these.

  5. /Love by Jack+Greenbaum · · Score: 0

    This is the type of quality submission that keeps me coming back to /.

  6. Fish, not Flesh. by Kaenneth · · Score: 2

    First read as "Flesh eating spiders"

    all the 'nope' in the world isn't enough.

    1. Re:Fish, not Flesh. by EasyTarget · · Score: 1

      'Flesh Eating Spiders' would have made this story worth posting.

      --
      "Oops, I always forget the purpose of competition is to divide people into winners and losers." - Hobbes
    2. Re:Fish, not Flesh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That wouldn't be new. Ecept for that one herbivorous one, they all are. Insect flesh mostly, but still.

    3. Re:Fish, not Flesh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      What do you think fish are made of, tofu?

      Actually, tofu-eating spiders would also have been interesting to read about

    4. Re:Fish, not Flesh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      all the 'nope' in the world isn't enough.

      https://i.imgur.com/MHuW96t.gif

    5. Re:Fish, not Flesh. by EasyTarget · · Score: 1

      I was more thinking of how adding 'flesh eating' to any story makes it more exciting.
      'Meat Eating' would be far less interesting, though technically more accurate.

      --
      "Oops, I always forget the purpose of competition is to divide people into winners and losers." - Hobbes
    6. Re:Fish, not Flesh. by DarthVain · · Score: 1

      As opposed to eating something else? Would you prefer soul eating spiders?

      Heh. Almost spelled it sole, just for the relevant pun. But that would just be wrong.

    7. Re:Fish, not Flesh. by antdude · · Score: 1

      I also misread its title as well.

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      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    8. Re:Fish, not Flesh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Reading further, TFS would reveal to you (emphasis mine):

      Holding on tight, it injects its aquatic prey with a deadly dose of venom and drags it to dry land, where it spends hours pumping it full of digestive enzymes and slurping up the fish's liquefied flesh.

  7. Re:what will the Earth evolve next? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    ...and caught in a web...eh, the Web?

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  8. I can't believe this hasn't already been posted to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nope

  9. I, for one... by by+(1706743) · · Score: 0

    ...am glad I'm not a fish.

  10. Poor fish! by Imbrondir · · Score: 0

    We should subsidize some fish laser mounts so they can protect themselves. Or maybe some sort of shark police. Preferably some combination of some sort :)

    1. Re:Poor fish! by Talderas · · Score: 1

      Police sharks would be just as corrupt as police humans. They would use their lasers to viciously beat the poor fish they were supposed to protect and serve. Even worse, I'm sure the police sharks would be quite adept at making sure there's no evidence of their beatings, much to the detriment of the fish.

      --
      "Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
    2. Re:Poor fish! by Triklyn · · Score: 1

      I think the solution is a bit more elegant than that, no victim, no assailant, no crime. makes their job a lot easier when they can just eat everybody involved :)

  11. Fish are vegetables too!!! by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

    'Flesh Eating Spiders' would have made this story worth posting.

    What do you think fish are made of, tofu?

    One of these spiders was going around telling people "Actually, I'm a vegetarian."

    When I pointed out that it was eating a fish, the spider replied "Oh yeah, I can eat fish, that doesn't count."

    "Also, I'm permitted to eat Carrot Top."

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    "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    1. Re:Fish are vegetables too!!! by jd2112 · · Score: 1

      "Also, I'm permitted to eat Carrot Top."

      Please do, that guy is annoying beyond all reason.

      --
      Any insufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.
    2. Re:Fish are vegetables too!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's had so many facelifts there is no flesh left to eat....

  12. So now that spiders are eating fish... by dts3 · · Score: 0

    ... do we have to worry about spiders with frickin lasers?

  13. But enough... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But enough about the Koch Brothers.

  14. Re:what will the Earth evolve next? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's a religion to them, not a fact of life, so no, they don't have brains.

  15. As if coupon day wasn't enough by slapout · · Score: 1

    Great, now the line at Captain D's just got longer

    --
    Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
  16. Re:Human anus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    *reads subject*
    *reads comment*
    *reads the exact url that is being linked*
    *clicks said link*

    I don't know what I was expecting to find...

  17. Appropriate comment? by Walter+White · · Score: 1

    Can't think of much. Maybe this:

    What has eight legs and a fish?

    A Spider!

    ... How about this.

    Moe: What is big and hairy and has eight legs?

    Joe: I don't know, what?

    Moe: I don't know either, but it's on your shoulder and it has a fish!

    Note to self: Don't quit day job.

  18. I always presumed this was common by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As the two most eye catching, and very populous, spider species of my childhood near lake Vänern in Sweden, occasionally caught (very small) fishes, I have always taken for granted this was something very common among other spider species around the world.