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From: WADE DOAK
_: 5
Date: 29-07-10
Time: 17:48
I am grateful to crustacean specialist Rick Webber and Seafood magazine for this superb story. Sea spiders have always been on the periphery of my diving experience. Sometimes I have seen them down deep on night dives at the Poor Knights when you have so much to cope with and those I saw were so tiny. In Fiordland bigger ones occur. They are really big in the Ross Sea.
An old diving mate in the fiords must have been had on by a cheeky young scientist. He seriously believed they were 'pickmygonads.'
One reason I put this story on my site is to relieve my guilt for ignoring these amazing sea creatures for so long. Rick has really done such a good job in describing them.
My second reason is to see if the diving world can rattle up some good pix of sea spiders from the PK or anywhere else on our coast. These would go on site and be forwarded to Rick at Te Papa National Museum.
Last changed: 23-Jul-2011