Predatory Sea Spider

The sea spider is no stranger to this blog. And though I have lamented the presence of anything spider like in the ocean, never before have I been so freaked out by this denizen of the arctic depths. It's all thanks to Alexander Semenov (see more photos here).

From above, especially with the majority of the legs out of view, the predatory Nymphon grossipes can almost be mistaken for coral. Almost.



















It's not until we get to the side and frontal shots that the sea spider is seen for what it really is: the colorful inspiration for the larvae from Aliens. This next photo is of a pair in the process of mating (yes, have all children and those lacking intestinal fortitude turn away).

































Here's a daddy sea spider, complete with his little clutch of eggs. Don't let his doting parenthood lull you into a false sense of security. He's just waiting on a chance to ram them down your esophagus with his ovapositor.