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New species of fish-eating spider discovered. You won't guess where.

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T

The Living Tribunal

Member
Dolomedes-briangreenei-.jpg


In case you thought nature was all about cute, fuzzy animals and sweet-smelling flowers, here’s a swimming spider that eats fish and frogs.

Endemic to freshwater streams in Queensland, Australia, the semi-aquatic arachnid was recently discovered close to Brisbane, before being presented this week at the World Science Festival, which is being held in the city.

Describing how the new species attacks its prey, Robert Raven of the Queensland Museum told Mashable Australia that “these spiders sit there on the water and then all of a sudden an insect will hit the water and the spider races out to get it, grabs it, dives under the water and then swims back to the shore and starts eating it.”

Known as Dolomedes briangreenei, the spider spends most of its time lurking on the banks of rivers in search of small waves caused by insects hitting the water, and has been named in honor of World Science Festival co-founder Brian Greene.

Commenting on the discovery, Greene said: “With the announcement last month of humankind’s first detection of gravitational waves – ripples on the surface of space and time – I am particularly honored to be so closely associated with a spider that has its own deep affinity for waves.”

Capable of eating cane toads, tadpoles, frogs, and fish up to three or four times its own size, the spider is in fact one of many species of arachnid known to prey on aquatic and amphibious animals. A paper that appeared in the journal PLOS ONE in 2014 documented the existence of numerous semi-aquatic, fish-eating arachnids, which it claims are “geographically widespread, occurring on all continents except Antarctica.”

According to the study, these spiders are able to kill prey up five times their own body size thanks to the use of powerful poisons, with the average prey being 2.2 times the length of the predator.
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Source: IFL

Banish to Australia if old.
 
M

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
I don't want to live on this planet anymore, I don't know how anybody on that sub-continent can sleep at night.

I don't think I am capable of falling asleep south of the equator.
 
M

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
smurfx said:
can we ban australians before they somehow develop deadly internet spiders?
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That's tonight's sleep cancelled.

If I believed in God I'd be a Satan worshipper
 
C

Chariot

Member
Markitron said:
Your opinion is incorrect, do yourself a favour and get some new opinions.
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Pif said:
Please don't bread.


I'm reporting this glitch to God right away. Hold still.
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Who is killing a lot of the pesky insects in your home? The ones you and your family, your parents, your life partners, your children would swallow in their sleep, when they are at their weakest? Who is killing off the vermin invading the shadows and unseen ceilings? Spiders are. Spiders are watching over humanity and protect them. They don't humans, they mostly say hello. Handle them with respect, push them away or put them outside if you don't like them. There are surely enough people out there who appreciate the silent help of the silkwalkers. This internet hate for spiders is absolutely silly.
 
E

echoshifting

Banned
Chariot said:
Who is killing a lot of the pesky insects in your home? The ones you and your family, your parents, your life partners, your children would swallow in their sleep, when they are at their weakest? Who is killing off the vermin invading the shadows and unseen ceilings? Spiders are. Spiders are watching over humanity and protect them. They don't humans, they mostly say hello. Handle them with respect, push them away or put them outside if you don't like them. There are surely enough people out there who appreciate the silent help of the silkwalkers. This internet hate for spiders is absolutely silly.
Click to expand...

a) Hang out on my ceiling over my bed
b) Move with preternatural speed
c) More limbs and eyes than a shoggoth
d) Consume their prey using the most horrific method imaginable
e) Hairy
f) Scary
 
M

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
Chariot said:
Who is killing a lot of the pesky insects in your home? The ones you and your family, your parents, your life partners, your children would swallow in their sleep, when they are at their weakest? Who is killing off the vermin invading the shadows and unseen ceilings? Spiders are. Spiders are watching over humanity and protect them. They don't humans, they mostly say hello. Handle them with respect, push them away or put them outside if you don't like them. There are surely enough people out there who appreciate the silent help of the silkwalkers. This internet hate for spiders is absolutely silly.
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I respect your passion, but you are a very weird guy.

Spiders were created by satan to terrorise mankind for eternity. FYI people hate spiders outside of the internet too.
 
S

smurfx

get some go again
Chariot said:
Who is killing a lot of the pesky insects in your home? The ones you and your family, your parents, your life partners, your children would swallow in their sleep, when they are at their weakest? Who is killing off the vermin invading the shadows and unseen ceilings? Spiders are. Spiders are watching over humanity and protect them. They don't humans, they mostly say hello. Handle them with respect, push them away or put them outside if you don't like them. There are surely enough people out there who appreciate the silent help of the silkwalkers. This internet hate for spiders is absolutely silly.
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they are eating those insects and shitting mini nightmares into my ears at night though.
 
U

User 479360

Banned
Well, Australia...you used to be my number one vacation destination, but you're not anymore. Your spiders have ruined things.

Goodbye old friend.
 
K

Kater

Banned
Chariot said:
Who is killing a lot of the pesky insects in your home? The ones you and your family, your parents, your life partners, your children would swallow in their sleep, when they are at their weakest? Who is killing off the vermin invading the shadows and unseen ceilings? Spiders are. Spiders are watching over humanity and protect them. They don't humans, they mostly say hello. Handle them with respect, push them away or put them outside if you don't like them. There are surely enough people out there who appreciate the silent help of the silkwalkers. This internet hate for spiders is absolutely silly.
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I've never heard them getting called silk walkers. Pretty good name though.

And agreed. So many GAFfers (and people outside of GAF as well) lack respect for what spiders do for us, for the world.
 
T

The Silver

Member
Just because I think spiders are evil hellspawn that I would burn on site doesn't mean I don't respect them killing other bugs. Let them fight.
 
Y

Yagharek

Member
Markitron said:
I respect your passion, but you are a very weird guy.

Spiders were created by satan to terrorise mankind for eternity. FYI people hate spiders outside of the internet too.
Click to expand...

This is an incredibly irrational position to take. Spiders are just like any other creature. They have their ecological niches and do vastly more good than harm.

People overreacting and calling them Satan spawn is just ridiculous.
 
M

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
Yagharek said:
This is an incredibly irrational position to take. Spiders are just like any other creature. They have their ecological niches and do vastly more good than harm.

People overreacting and calling them Satan spawn is just ridiculous.
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Being rational goes out the window when you have a phobia.
 
N

NastyBook

Member
Chariot said:
Who is killing a lot of the pesky insects in your home? The ones you and your family, your parents, your life partners, your children would swallow in their sleep, when they are at their weakest? Who is killing off the vermin invading the shadows and unseen ceilings? Spiders are. Spiders are watching over humanity and protect them. They don't humans, they mostly say hello. Handle them with respect, push them away or put them outside if you don't like them. There are surely enough people out there who appreciate the silent help of the silkwalkers. This internet hate for spiders is absolutely silly.
Click to expand...
Hahahahahahahahahaaaaaa, fuck spiders. And fuck Australia for birthing more of the monstrosities. And fuck the lazy ass spiders here in GA that don't even eat/kill the fucking roaches and mosquitoes. "Oh, you set up your big ass web on the stairwell of my old apartment to catch moths? Go fuck yourself."
 
L

Lautaro

Member
Chariot said:
Who is killing a lot of the pesky insects in your home? The ones you and your family, your parents, your life partners, your children would swallow in their sleep, when they are at their weakest? Who is killing off the vermin invading the shadows and unseen ceilings? Spiders are. Spiders are watching over humanity and protect them. They don't humans, they mostly say hello. Handle them with respect, push them away or put them outside if you don't like them. There are surely enough people out there who appreciate the silent help of the silkwalkers. This internet hate for spiders is absolutely silly.
Click to expand...

Here in Chile almost all houses have a small spider that has a deadly venom, at least the insects don't cause you necrosis if they bite you. Also some spiders will confuse your ears with a refuge, they'll get in, get stuck and die there while you hear them scratching.
 
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