Nature’s Scuba Divers: The Water Spider
The water spider creates an air bubble with its silk, allowing it to live underwater for most of its life.
Even before man attempted to conquer the ocean, nature already had its own scuba divers. The water spider, or argyroneta aquatica, is an arachnid that spends its entire life underwater. They don’t have gills, but rather, they use their silk to create an air bubble. The spider brings the bubble with them underwater, which acts as a “scuba tank”, though is quite similar to the aqua-lung. The oxygen is replenished via osmotic pressure, allowing for the exchange of gases (intake of oxygen and expelling of carbon dioxide) through the thin membrane. Occasionally, the spider will go up to the surface to replenish their air supplies. The web spun air bubble often resembles a bell, thus earning the spider the nickname “diving bell spider”.
Aside from hiding from predators, the female spider also uses the bubble to catch prey (like a web), lay her eggs and even raise her young. Male spiders also create the air cocoons, though theirs tend to be smaller, allowing them to move faster and hunt.