It was two in the morning on January 11, 2009 . The tide off the coast of the Sunshine State in Queensland (Australia) receded considerably, revealing for the first time a group of previously unknown sea spiders.
This peculiar staging quickly reminded scientists of the popular theme of the undisputed legend of reggae, Bob Marley , from 1973, titled High Tide or Low Tide , translated as ‘High Tide or Low Tide’.
The researchers described this as a new species of spider to science . Now, the team made up of doctors Barbara Baehr, Robert Raven and Danilo Harms, affiliated with the Museum of Queensland and the University of Hamburg, in Germany, have published this study revealing the details of the arachnid, and offer unpublished information about two of its relatives (previously known, but not studied) from Samoa and Western Australia .
The new species responds to the scientific name of Desis bobmarleyi . And unlike the spiders that people are popularly familiar with, this intertidal species is truly marine .
But how has its survival been possible?
These animals have adapted to underwater life by hiding in barnacle shells, corals, and seaweed at high tide. To breathe, they build air chambers of silk . However, once the sea water recedes, they are on the hunt for small invertebrates that roam the surfaces of nearby rocks, corals, and plants.
At high tide or low tide, I’ll be by your side
The research has been based on the study of original female and male specimens collected from the area of discovery.
Both sexes are characterized by having predominantly reddish and brown colors , while their legs are orange-brown in color and covered by a dense layer of long, thin, dark gray structures. The females appear to be larger in size with the sample studied measuring almost 9 millimeters, while the male was approximately 6 millimeters long.
The range of this species is still too abstract to determine an exact region. However, at the moment, it has been traced from the intertidal zones of the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast of Queensland.
In addition to reporting on their research, the scientists use their paper to pay tribute to a late 19th century German naturalist – Amalie Dietrich, as well as the famous Jamaican singer-songwriter.
“The song High Tide or Low Tide is the perfect reference for this spider, since its staging and message promote love and friendship through all the struggles of life “, explain the authors by the curious choice of a Name.
Both figures, although representative of very different fields, are seen by the authors as examples of human nature “adventurous and resistant at heart” in search of freedom and independence.
