Some Spiders Prefer Fish Over Insects

Some spiders like to prey on delectable insects. Others might even take on some twice their size. Still, some arachnids may prefer small fish over squishy bugs. Eighty-nine such instances have been documented in a recent study, published in the journal PLOS One.

Researchers from the University of Basel, Switzerland, and the University of Western Australia, discovered various fish-eating spiders from across the globe. In fact, 18 such different spider species can catch fish in the wild, according to LiveScience. Another six fish species were also able to eat fish in laboratory settings.

These semi-aquatic spiders live near shallow streams or ponds, and can swim, dive or even walk on water. Thanks to neurotoxins carried by the arachnids, these spiders are successfully able to kill and consume their fish prey.

"Our finding of such a large diversity of spider families being engaged in fish predation is novel. Semi-aquatic spiders captured fish whose body length exceeded the spiders' body length (the captured fish being, on average, 2.2 times as long as the spiders). Evidence suggests that fish prey might be an occasional prey item of substantial nutritional importance," the authors wrote, in a news release.

Yet how would a spider catch a fish that darts in and out of the water? According to researchers, a lot of it has to do with patience.

"The spider typically assumes a position near the water's edge, with the rear pair of legs anchored to some vegetation or wood or rock, and their three front pairs of legs out of the water's surface," said fish ecologist Brad Pusey, of the University of Western Australia.

Once the fish swims too close to the surface, the spider attacks it and injects a dose of neurotoxin. Then, after the spider drags the fish out the water, dinner time starts.

As feeding can last up to several hours for these guys, best to stay out of their way.