These birds mainly live off arthropods and larvae.

Instead of developing from the deutocerebrum, they can be traced to the protocerebrum, the anterior part of the arthropod brain and found in the first head segment that in all other arthropods give rise to the eyes only.

This method of moulting is different from that of most arthropods, which shed their cuticle in a single process.

About 500 million years ago, plants and fungi colonised the land and were soon followed by arthropods and other animals.

However even this is in dispute, as genetic evidence suggests they may even be an ancient sister group to all other living arthropods.

In its native range A. altissima is associated with at least 32 species of arthropods and 13 species of fungi.

It can be found in various places of South America and the Caribbean, where it preys on a great variety of animals, including other sizable arthropods, amphibians, mammals and reptiles.

And living amongst the tangle of tube worms is an entire community of animals shrimp, fish, lobsters, crab, clams and swarms of arthropods that are playing that dangerous game between over here is scalding hot and freezing cold.

Although sea spiders are not true spiders, or even arachnids, their traditional classification as chelicerates would place them closer to true spiders than to other well known arthropod groups, such as insects or crustaceans.