Our collection of sea spiders may seem small at first glance, but nothing could be further from the truth. Worldwide, about 1,500 species have been described, and at Naturalis we may have the greatest diversity in the world. Almost half of all known species are represented in our collection, and we even hold type specimens of between a quarter and a third of all taxa. The origins of these specimens are as diverse as the species themselves: they come from expeditions all over the world, through exchanges with other researchers or museums, or directly from the original authors who donated their material to us.
Uniquecollection
Naturalis holds one of the most remarkable sea spider collections in the world. In total, the collection contains more than 4,000 specimens, and that number is slowly growing. The vast majority are preserved in fluid. The fluid collection consists of four cabinets filled with nearly 3,400 jars. Only a few specimens are kept dry. The glass slides are sometimes still stored in their more than hundred-year-old slide boxes, or in specially adapted cabinets due to the variety of sizes.
Interestingorganisms
Worldwide, very few researchers study sea spiders. And yet these organisms could have very promising applications. For the medical field, sea spiders are particularly interesting because of their exceptional regenerative abilities. They can not only regenerate legs, but also parts of their head, reproductive organs, and other vital body parts.
In addition, much is still unknown about their diversity. Especially in the deep sea, where sea spiders are well represented, there is still much to discover. With the increase of human activities in the deep sea, such as the extraction of manganese nodules, it is important that this group is studied more. Greater knowledge of sea spiders can provide valuable insights for both medical science and nature conservation.
First research& publications
Between 1879 and 1898, sea spiders received more scientific attention. An important pioneer in this research was Paulus Peronius Cato Hoek, best known for his studies on barnacles (Cirripedia). His work on this group brought him into contact with Charles Darwin, who advised him to first study the sea spiders from the Challenger expedition before starting on barnacles, Darwin’s own taxonomic specialty. Hoek mainly examined material from the Triton expeditions, the Willem Barentsz expeditions, and the Challenger expedition, which resulted in the description of many dozens of new species.
Not long after, starting in 1903, the first publications on sea spiders by Jan Cornelis Christiaan Loman appeared. Thanks to his extensive network, Loman had access to material from a wide range of sources, allowing him to describe dozens of new species as well. He remained active in research on this group until his death. Little is known about Loman himself, but a type catalog of his sea spiders will be published soon.
Revivalof research
After Loman, there were several decades of silence in sea spider research. In the 1950s, Jan Hendrik Stock changed this. For more than forty years, he published extensively on this group, leading to the largest growth of the current sea spider collection. Stock wrote dozens of publications and described hundreds of species. Every expedition specimen and every example he obtained through his extensive network was carefully studied. Thanks to his meticulous documentation, his specimens can always be traced in detail back to the corresponding publications.
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