UBC Study Reveals Two New Sea Spider Species in Salish Sea, Including a Parasite Host
Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have identified two new species of sea spiders in the Salish Sea, the first such discoveries in the region in nearly a century. The study, published in the journal Organisms Diversity & Evolution, details Callipallene pilosuspedes, characterized by hairy legs and red eyes, and Tanystylum kiixin, a parasitic species that hosts its own smaller parasites. These findings highlight the urgent need for better biodiversity data to assess the impacts of climate change and human activity on marine invertebrates in the Pacific Northwest.
