Most spiders are land animals, but the fishing spider tends to spend most of its time dwelling on watery surfaces. Fishing spiders can walk on water, utilizing the watery body’s surface tension to do so. They also sport unique hairs on their legs that detect vibrations under the water. This tells them if there’s a fish nearby.
As their name suggests, fishing spiders quite literally go fishing. They prey on smaller fish that are daring enough to approach the surface. As fishing spiders detect prey, they lunge down, attempting to trap the fish in their eight powerful legs.
Another surprise: these spiders have well-adapted lungs that let them breathe underwater. That said, if they lunge just a little bit too deep, they don’t have to worry much about drowning. They can just swim back up the surface, reposition themselves, and try again.
While the fishing spider might be great at detecting fish, it doesn’t always catch them successfully. When successful, however the spider injects venom into the fish, paralyzing it and making it easier to eat. Afterward, it drags the carcass onto land, where it spends a while feasting on its prize.
