As if spiders weren’t scary enough when they just eat insects.
Now, scientists have documented more than 80 incidents of spiders preying on fish. They have also identified 18 species of spider as fish-eating manifestations of your irrational fears.
“Most of these fish-killing spiders are semi-aquatic, with the ability to swim, dive and walk on the water’s surface. These spiders are equipped with powerful neurotoxins and enzymes that help them kill and digest fish that can be two times their size.
To catch their prey, spiders would wait near the surface of the water on the edge of a stream with their hind legs anchored on a stone or plant and pierce the skin of the fish as it swam by with a venomous bite. The spider would then drag the fish to a dry place to begin the feeding process, which could take several hours.”
The worst part? The most common fish-eating spiders aren’t found in some exotic locale. They’re found right here in the US, especially in the Florida wetlands. If there is any comfort to be found here, it’s that spiders who dine purely on fish are extremely rare and the fish that spiders do eat usually aren’t much longer than one or two inches.
Still, this makes Eight Legged Freaks that much closer to a reality.
