Six-spotted Fishing Spiders (Dolomedes triton) are a particularly fascinating kind of spiders and I was really excited to see one yesterday at my local marsh.
Fishing spiders don’t build a web, but use the surface of the water in the same way that other spiders use a web. They extend some of their legs onto the surface of the water and when they feel the vibrations of a prey, they run across the surface of the water to snatch it. According to Wikipedia, the very sensitive hairs on their legs and feet help them to interpret the vibrations they sense and determine distance and direction. Their eyes play a secondary role in hunting, particularly because they do much of their hunting at night.
This spider was a couple of feet below the level of the boardwalk and several feet away and I was able to use my tripod to help steady the shot. In fact, the spider was cooperative enough that I made attempts with my 135-400mm zoom, my 55-250mm zoom, and my 100mm macro lens. Of the images that I am posting, the first image was shot with the longer zoom and the second with the macro lens. The macro lens let me hang over the edge of the boardwalk a little, which let me get a little closer, but made it tough to brace myself.
If you want to see a few more images of these interesting spiders, check out my previous postings Fishing spider waiting for prey and Fishing in the swamp.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
Nature always has some new and fascinating thing waiting just around the corner-or under the boardwalk.
Under the boardwalk…I think that song is going to be stuck in my head all day (and yes, it is always exciting to see what surprise awaits me when I go out with my camera).
Thanks for mentioning that song, now it’ll be stuck in my head all day as well 😉 Great photos, Mike! It looks big and scary, I wouldn’t have dared getting close to take a picture!
Thanks. Of course, I know that you have a lens that can photograph a spider like this from a distance. I can understand, though, that you might not want to get close enough to use your macro lens!
These really are fascinating spiders, and this one surely has tales to tell of close encounters, especially because it has, at some point, lost two of its legs (likely the two most posterior). I hope it doesn’t mind the possible tendency by some to call it an insect as a result!
I counted the six visible legs and couldn’t decide if the other two were tucked under somehow. Do snapping turtles eat spiders? We have an amazing number of snapping turtles this spring.
Not likely, I think. They are opportunists, but they’re pretty slow.
Great shots! 🙂
Thanks, Ed. I was really happy to have the opportunity to see one of these spiders again. It’s a little strange to be looking for spiders in a place where you expect to see frogs or an occasional water snake.
I found a predator waterbug in the most unusual place. I did the pics today and one of my commenters podted a link to one eating a baby turtle..
That first shot is particularly well done. Nice work.
Thanks, Lyle. That was my favorite shot as well.