Dive 06: Big Daddy Sea Spider
Video courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration. Download larger version (mp4, 59.3 MB).

During Dive 06 of the 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration, we observed this male sea spider, pycnogonid, carrying babies. Much like sea horses, the female produces eggs, but once the eggs are fertilized, the male carries them using specialized legs called ovigers. If you watch the video closely, you can see a baby sea spider float away, out into the world.

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