Science
Scientists name a new trapdoor spider in Mauritius that lives underwater at high tide
The Mauritian tidal trapdoor spider seals its rock burrow with a waterproof door of silk, sand and algae. It is found on just two tiny islands.
Scientists have named a new species of spider that spends part of every day underwater. The Mauritian tidal trapdoor spider lives in rocks along the shore of two tiny islands off Mauritius. At high tide its home is fully submerged.
The species, Idioctis marevallum, was described in the journal Arachnology. Its name means "sea wall." Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust announced the find on Oct. 27. The study was led by arachnologist Danniella Sherwood.
The spider was first found in 2023 on Ilot Vacoas, an islet of about one hectare off the coast of Mauritius. It has since turned up on nearby Ile aux Fouquets.
A waterproof front door
The spider does not dig its own burrow. It moves into tubes in the coral rock that were made by worms and mollusks. It then seals the entrance with a trapdoor of silk, sand and algae.
That door is waterproof. Researchers tested it by pouring seawater over a nest for 20 seconds. The tube inside stayed dry.
A tarantula cousin
Despite its name, the spider is a relative of tarantulas in the family Barychelidae.
The same study added 14 spider species that had never been recorded in Mauritius. That raised the island's known spider list by 27.45%.
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