Very cool spiders!!
February 19, 2008 2:17 PM Subscribe
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posted by anazgnos at 2:26 PM on February 19, 2008
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posted by anazgnos at 2:26 PM on February 19, 2008
Creepy, crawly, underwater crazy.
I agree though, is a spider the right name for these things? Looks like they have more than 8 legs.
posted by heatherbeth at 2:28 PM on February 19, 2008
I agree though, is a spider the right name for these things? Looks like they have more than 8 legs.
posted by heatherbeth at 2:28 PM on February 19, 2008
anazgnos: Don't enable the cookies! That's what attracts the spiders.
posted by mullacc at 2:29 PM on February 19, 2008 [13 favorites]
posted by mullacc at 2:29 PM on February 19, 2008 [13 favorites]
They are identified as being giant sea spiders, which makes me a little nervous.
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:29 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:29 PM on February 19, 2008
Sea spiders, not spiders, but creepy all the same.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 2:30 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 2:30 PM on February 19, 2008
I used to have something similar to those in a saltwater aquarium of mine.
http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&q=feather+star
posted by gummo at 2:30 PM on February 19, 2008
http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&q=feather+star
posted by gummo at 2:30 PM on February 19, 2008
Cool is not the word I would use, I would use frightening, very frightening.
If these spiders ever team up with Octopi, we might as well give up.
posted by drezdn at 2:35 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
If these spiders ever team up with Octopi, we might as well give up.
posted by drezdn at 2:35 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
Definitely not spiders, but it's interesting that they "walk" sort of like spiders do.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:37 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by Sys Rq at 2:37 PM on February 19, 2008
Still looking for the giant spiders. I kept expecting some giant beast to rise up from the depth behind those tiny white things. Sadly, it was not to be.
posted by blue_beetle at 2:40 PM on February 19, 2008 [7 favorites]
posted by blue_beetle at 2:40 PM on February 19, 2008 [7 favorites]
(It's odd that these are even called "giant sea spiders," since there are actual spiders that also go by that name.)
posted by Sys Rq at 2:40 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by Sys Rq at 2:40 PM on February 19, 2008
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So you can do your Llamas-directing-Holy-Grail impersonation with your flash ads? No thanks. I'll wait until it's available on Youtube.
posted by yath at 2:41 PM on February 19, 2008
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So you can do your Llamas-directing-Holy-Grail impersonation with your flash ads? No thanks. I'll wait until it's available on Youtube.
posted by yath at 2:41 PM on February 19, 2008
As I watched the video with the sound off, it took me a couple of minutes before I figured out that the diaphanous, floaty white things were the spiders. I was waiting for some massive Shelob-type monstrosity to leap out of nowhere and devour them.
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:42 PM on February 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:42 PM on February 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
Sure, cute now. Just wait till they are 200 feet longer and letting us know that they have amassed outside of New York by ripping the head off of the Statue of Liberty.
Cute then?
Well, yeah. But scary too.
posted by quin at 2:43 PM on February 19, 2008
Cute then?
Well, yeah. But scary too.
posted by quin at 2:43 PM on February 19, 2008
blue_beetle, give me my brain back.
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:43 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:43 PM on February 19, 2008
Sea Cucumbers aren't really cucumbers, either. But you can eat'em!
Obligatory wikipedia Sea Spider page, too.
Cool link anyway. I wish I were a marine biologist.
posted by not_on_display at 2:45 PM on February 19, 2008
Obligatory wikipedia Sea Spider page, too.
Cool link anyway. I wish I were a marine biologist.
posted by not_on_display at 2:45 PM on February 19, 2008
You know in a horror film when those background news reports are used to foreshadow the coming events and all the characters ignore them and go about their daily lives?
This seems just like that.
posted by HVAC Guerilla at 2:49 PM on February 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
This seems just like that.
posted by HVAC Guerilla at 2:49 PM on February 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
The spiders weren't discovered by researchers from Miskatonic University by any chance, were they?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:59 PM on February 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:59 PM on February 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
A proboscis allows them to suck nutrients from soft-bodied invertebrates,
Ewww.
Pretty cool looking in motion though. I appreciate spiders in the abstract but have a hard time looking at them in real life. My friend has a pet tarantula (caught it in the wild), it is equal parts fascinating and horrifying.
posted by doctor_negative at 2:59 PM on February 19, 2008
Ewww.
Pretty cool looking in motion though. I appreciate spiders in the abstract but have a hard time looking at them in real life. My friend has a pet tarantula (caught it in the wild), it is equal parts fascinating and horrifying.
posted by doctor_negative at 2:59 PM on February 19, 2008
I was at the doctor's office this morning and they had Fox showing in the waiting room. After introducing this clip and cutting to it, one of the anchors says in the background "They look like chains!"
posted by nzero at 3:16 PM on February 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by nzero at 3:16 PM on February 19, 2008 [2 favorites]
That's not a spider. That's a trip toy with legs. As soon as someone gets some black lights and a sound system down there they're gonna make a fortune.
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:42 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:42 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
By the light of the Moon he beholdeth God's creatures of the great calm.
Beyond the shadow of the ship,
I watched the water-snakes ...
Within the shadow of the ship
I watched their rich attire :
Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,
They coiled and swam ; and every track
Was a flash of golden fire.
Their beauty and their happiness.
He blesseth them in his heart.
O happy living things ! no tongue
Their beauty might declare :
A spring of love gushed from my heart,
And I blessed them unaware :
Sure my kind saint took pity on me,
And I blessed them unaware.
The spell begins to break.
posted by Huplescat at 3:48 PM on February 19, 2008
Beyond the shadow of the ship,
I watched the water-snakes ...
Within the shadow of the ship
I watched their rich attire :
Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,
They coiled and swam ; and every track
Was a flash of golden fire.
Their beauty and their happiness.
He blesseth them in his heart.
O happy living things ! no tongue
Their beauty might declare :
A spring of love gushed from my heart,
And I blessed them unaware :
Sure my kind saint took pity on me,
And I blessed them unaware.
The spell begins to break.
posted by Huplescat at 3:48 PM on February 19, 2008
(Dad's a zoologist and would probably disown me for not mentioning that).
posted by Citizen Premier at 3:50 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by Citizen Premier at 3:50 PM on February 19, 2008
HOLY SHIT I'M NEVER GOING IN THE WATER AGAIN!
Or putting my feet under my desk, or dangling my legs over the side of my bed. I may just walk around in a suit of armor for the rest of my life.
Now I have to go wash my hands. Ickickick.
posted by FunkyHelix at 4:15 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
Or putting my feet under my desk, or dangling my legs over the side of my bed. I may just walk around in a suit of armor for the rest of my life.
Now I have to go wash my hands. Ickickick.
posted by FunkyHelix at 4:15 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
Huplescat: I'd just have chosen
Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs
upon the slimy sea.
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:18 PM on February 19, 2008
Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs
upon the slimy sea.
posted by Pallas Athena at 4:18 PM on February 19, 2008
They're some type of Ophiurid or Brittle Star.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 4:23 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by kuujjuarapik at 4:23 PM on February 19, 2008
the eastern Antarctic coast, or the eastern coast of Antarctica, CNN! Not "eastern Antarctica coast!"
NEXT UP ON FOX: "Are you a better writer than a Fifth Grader?" [Spoiler Alert! CNN loses!]
posted by kyleg at 4:24 PM on February 19, 2008
NEXT UP ON FOX: "Are you a better writer than a Fifth Grader?" [Spoiler Alert! CNN loses!]
posted by kyleg at 4:24 PM on February 19, 2008
WHERE'S YOUR CTHULHU NOW, LOVECRAFT
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:24 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:24 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
the feather stars are the sessile critters at the bottom
posted by kuujjuarapik at 4:24 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by kuujjuarapik at 4:24 PM on February 19, 2008
Iä! Shub-Niggurath!
posted by Nelson at 4:57 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Nelson at 4:57 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
Some day we'll find the Leviathan. And who will be happy then, huh? Who?
posted by malocchio at 5:04 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by malocchio at 5:04 PM on February 19, 2008
I have a major case of the heebie jeebies now. My skin is absolutely crawling!
But they were cool to watch.
posted by mabelcolby at 5:13 PM on February 19, 2008
But they were cool to watch.
posted by mabelcolby at 5:13 PM on February 19, 2008
The sleeping denizens of R'lyeh awake… just wait until you see the Giant Sea Velociraptors.
posted by XMLicious at 5:17 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by XMLicious at 5:17 PM on February 19, 2008
Whoa, you can keep criniods in a saltwater aquarium?
Hunh. I wonder if one could create a prehistoric-themed biotope.
posted by bettafish at 5:18 PM on February 19, 2008
Hunh. I wonder if one could create a prehistoric-themed biotope.
posted by bettafish at 5:18 PM on February 19, 2008
If they had been presented to me as "cool wiggly sea creatures" I would have loved that video. Calling them "sea spiders," however, has ensured that I'll feel anxious for the next thirty minutes and will be unable to sleep tonight.
posted by PhatLobley at 5:32 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by PhatLobley at 5:32 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
I read somewhere that peoples three biggest fears were spiders, public speaking and death... in that order.
posted by Huplescat at 5:44 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by Huplescat at 5:44 PM on February 19, 2008
You know in a horror film when those background news reports are used to foreshadow the coming events and all the characters ignore them and go about their daily lives?
This effect is multiplied by the fact that the video immediately following the sea spiders is one about an unusual meteor crash.
posted by weston at 5:58 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
This effect is multiplied by the fact that the video immediately following the sea spiders is one about an unusual meteor crash.
posted by weston at 5:58 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
The worst thing is to be ravaged by spiders while your'e giving a speach.
posted by Huplescat at 6:03 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by Huplescat at 6:03 PM on February 19, 2008
I laugh at your giant spiders.
Giant Robots.
THAT is what gives me the heebie-jeebies..
posted by Dizzy at 6:04 PM on February 19, 2008
Giant Robots.
THAT is what gives me the heebie-jeebies..
posted by Dizzy at 6:04 PM on February 19, 2008
I do not know whether they truly are spiders
Apparently the scientists are not super clear on what they are either. These gross li'l suckers are actually damn interesting.
posted by nanojath at 6:35 PM on February 19, 2008
Apparently the scientists are not super clear on what they are either. These gross li'l suckers are actually damn interesting.
posted by nanojath at 6:35 PM on February 19, 2008
I would rather have these feathery friends nearby than those gawddamn biting lice things from Cloverfield. Yay nature!
posted by wowbobwow at 6:54 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by wowbobwow at 6:54 PM on February 19, 2008
Instead of selling them on E-bay, the world's last stockpile of Wacky WallWalkers was ignominiously dumped into the Antarctic Ocean.
posted by Tube at 6:56 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Tube at 6:56 PM on February 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
I think they're really pretty. It's too bad the camera was moving so quickly, it was hard to get a good look at them.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 7:10 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by The Light Fantastic at 7:10 PM on February 19, 2008
Don't enable the cookies! That's what attracts the spiders.
The piss all over my pants will keep them at bay.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:07 PM on February 19, 2008
The piss all over my pants will keep them at bay.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 8:07 PM on February 19, 2008
These are wicked cool.
Apparently the scientists are not super clear on what they are either.
It's clear that sea spiders aren't actually spiders. That article you linked to is interesting though. It mentions that scientists are unsure of where to place the sea spider group in relation to other arthropod groups. So while it's clear that sea spiders don't belong within the arachnid group, it's not clear how closely the two groups are related:
"They look like spiders, but they are not real spiders," says Arango. "It's been very hard to place them in a position within the tree of life."
This is good context for the video, too:
Arango says the most interesting sea spiders live in Antarctica. They are more diverse, more abundant, bigger and weirder than other sea spiders, she says.
"That makes them a very sexy and attractive fauna."
This was such big news this week because what's shown in the video is a new kind of "big and weird" sea spider.
Yahoo! News (with a few photos).
posted by Tehanu at 8:07 PM on February 19, 2008
Apparently the scientists are not super clear on what they are either.
It's clear that sea spiders aren't actually spiders. That article you linked to is interesting though. It mentions that scientists are unsure of where to place the sea spider group in relation to other arthropod groups. So while it's clear that sea spiders don't belong within the arachnid group, it's not clear how closely the two groups are related:
"They look like spiders, but they are not real spiders," says Arango. "It's been very hard to place them in a position within the tree of life."
This is good context for the video, too:
Arango says the most interesting sea spiders live in Antarctica. They are more diverse, more abundant, bigger and weirder than other sea spiders, she says.
"That makes them a very sexy and attractive fauna."
This was such big news this week because what's shown in the video is a new kind of "big and weird" sea spider.
Yahoo! News (with a few photos).
posted by Tehanu at 8:07 PM on February 19, 2008
That's not a sea spider...THAT'S a sea spider!
/mick dundee
Well, at least it LOOKS more like a spider than the linked video images.
posted by davidmsc at 9:17 PM on February 19, 2008
/mick dundee
Well, at least it LOOKS more like a spider than the linked video images.
posted by davidmsc at 9:17 PM on February 19, 2008
i couldn't get the cnn link to load at all. but good ol' NGE's got it. if ya don't wanna sit through the adverts to see the yahoo vid check here.
i think the creatures are very beautiful! now - that doctor riddle, he's a pretty odd-lookin' creature.
posted by lapolla at 9:25 PM on February 19, 2008
i think the creatures are very beautiful! now - that doctor riddle, he's a pretty odd-lookin' creature.
posted by lapolla at 9:25 PM on February 19, 2008
Yahoo! News (with a few photos).
posted by Tehanu at 10:07 PM on February 19 [+] [!]
The tunicates in that photo set are amazing.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 11:16 PM on February 19, 2008
posted by Tehanu at 10:07 PM on February 19 [+] [!]
The tunicates in that photo set are amazing.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 11:16 PM on February 19, 2008
Can't say why, but I keep thinking that I'm being asked to take a virtual gun and fire at these bubbling creatures, perhaps to gain a few points and some secret powers which will be useful for me in a different level.
posted by the cydonian at 1:39 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by the cydonian at 1:39 AM on February 20, 2008
Sea spiders (scientific name: pycnogonids) are usually considered members of the group Chelicerata, which also includes spiders and scorpions and horseshoe crabs (and, if we're including extinct groups, trilobites and sea scorpions [euryperids]). We're not yet sure how the sea spiders are related to other chelicerates (current evidence suggests that they are the oldest group) or how the chelicerates are related to other arthropods (insects, crustaceans, myriapods, etc). I have a couple of tiny pycnogonids in the freezer; once I get round to turning them into RNA we might know a tiny bit more about their evolutionary relationships :)
posted by primer_dimer at 2:49 AM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by primer_dimer at 2:49 AM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
Q. What's an Antarctic Sea-Spider's favourite drink?
A. Pym's!
This is an incredibly obscure and not-very-good joke that I am only mentioning to see if anybody at all out there understands it.
posted by Sparx at 4:31 AM on February 20, 2008
A. Pym's!
This is an incredibly obscure and not-very-good joke that I am only mentioning to see if anybody at all out there understands it.
posted by Sparx at 4:31 AM on February 20, 2008
See, this is why I don't go into the ocean.
posted by wastelands at 6:43 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by wastelands at 6:43 AM on February 20, 2008
Yeah, pretty cool but, but, but how 'bout this found on the same page.
posted by sfts2 at 6:57 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by sfts2 at 6:57 AM on February 20, 2008
Ok, not like spiders at all. I really wanted to see it but am terrified of spiders like whoa, so I got my partner to pre-vet it. She watched it, I watched, and the consensus: "They're really pretty!"
posted by arcticwoman at 7:38 AM on February 20, 2008
posted by arcticwoman at 7:38 AM on February 20, 2008
Very beautiful. I am going to sleep and I am going to have pleasant dreams.
Good night.
posted by kozad at 10:15 PM on February 20, 2008
Good night.
posted by kozad at 10:15 PM on February 20, 2008
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