THE LENTIL SEA SPIDER

Defining Physical Characteristics:1/4" long, 1/16" wide. Thin, flat with long legs, long neck and small abdomen. Four pair of legs, and four eyes.

Habitat: On hydroids and tunicates.

Range: Atlantic Coast

Niche: Carnivore feeding on zooplankton.

Personal Observations: The summer/fall of 2002 was the first time I noticed this tiny sea spider. One of my fifth grade students looked it up in the Audubon Guide to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and accurately identified it. Afterwards I noticed them everytime I collected algae for my school tank.