Fishing spider found for the first time in India; know more about raft spider Dolomedes indicus

THRISSUR: There is a fish-catching spider in Kerala. These spiders were found on the banks of streams in Lakkidi and Wayanad, which are part of the Western Ghats. This is the first time they have been found in India.

They wait for prey for days on fallen leaves, twigs, and rocks. They detect the presence of prey by dropping special hairs near their mouths into the water.

Dr. Jitu Unnikrishnan of the Peechi Forest Research Institute and researcher CK Arjun made the discovery during studies conducted in the 'Wayanad Wild' eco-resort area. Spider breeding was done in the lab to study its life cycle. Although it was reported that these spiders were found in the rainforests of Wayanad and Periya, a study could not be conducted.

How it fishes

When this spider jumps into the water, it sticks its web to the surface it is sitting on. It wraps its legs around the prey and bites it. The sharp features like teeth are attached to the mouth. Climbing back up the web, the spider returns to its seat. The spider starts eating once the fish is dead. They also have eyes different from other spiders.

These spiders are 10 to 12 centimeters in size. Their prey is fish of four to five centimeters in size. They are known as "fishing spiders". Since it is the first species from India, it was also given the scientific name Dolomedes indicus. The classification was completed in collaboration with the National Institute of Biology, Slovenia.

This study has been published in the international scientific publication 'Nature Scientific Reports'. Discovering new species is an asset to the scientific world.

-Dr. Kannan C.S. Warrior

Director

Forest Research Center, Peechi