The list of sea spiders of South Africa is a list of species that form a part of the pycnogonid (Class Pycnogonida) fauna of South Africa. The list follows the SANBI listing on iNaturalist, and does not always agree with WoRMS for distribution.
Sea spiders are marine arthropods of the order Pantopoda (lit. ‘all feet’), belonging to the class Pycnogonida, hence they are also called pycnogonids ( /pɪkˈnɒɡənədz/ ; named after Pycnogonum , the type genus; with the suffix -id ). They are cosmopolitan, found in oceans around the world. The over 1,300 known species have leg spans ranging from 1 mm (0.04 in) to over 70 cm (2.3 ft). Most are toward the smaller end of this range in relatively shallow depths; however, they can grow to be quite large in Antarctic and deep waters.
Although "sea spiders" are not true spiders, nor 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, if correct. This is disputed, however, as genetic evidence suggests they may be a sister group to all other living arthropods. ( Full article... )
Pyramidellinae is a taxonomic subfamily of minute sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Tegula is a genus of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Tegulidae.
Neritidae, common name the nerites, is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized saltwater and freshwater snails which have a gill and a distinctive operculum. The family Neritidae includes marine genera such as Nerita, marine and freshwater genera such as Neritina, and freshwater and brackish water genera such as Theodoxus.
Atlanta is a genus of pelagic marine gastropod molluscs in the family Atlantidae. They are sometimes called heteropods.
Trimusculus is a genus of medium-sized air-breathing sea snails or false limpets, marine pulmonate gastropod molluscs in the family Trimusculidae.
Hipponicidae, common name hoof shells or hoof snails, is a family of small sea snails, limpet-like marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Vanikoroidea.
Boonea is a small genus of small sea snails, pyramidellid gastropod mollusks.
Lottiidae is a family of sea snails, specifically true limpets, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Lottioidea and the clade Patellogastropoda.
Solariellidae is a family of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Trochoidea.
Cylichnidae, common name the "chalice bubble snails" or "canoe bubble snails" is a family of sea snails or bubble snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cylichnoidea.
Heleobia is a genus of small freshwater and brackish water snails with a gill and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Cochliopidae and the superfamily Truncatelloidea.
Ptychatractidae is a taxonomic family of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Turbinelloidea.
Pyramidella is a genus of minute to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusc in the subfamily Pyramidellinae of the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Ebala is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Ebalinae, family Murchisonellidae.
Toledonia is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cylichnidae.
Crenella is a genus of bean mussels in the family Mytilidae.
Tanystylum is a genus of pycnogonids in the family Ammotheidae.
Cerithideopsis is a genus of medium-sized sea snails or mud snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Potamididae, the horn snails.
Nymphon leptocheles is a species of sea spider first described by Georg Ossian Sars in 1888. The species greatly resembles other members of the genus Nymphon, and species identification from morphological traits alone is therefore a complex task.
Colossendeis proboscidea is a species of sea spider in the family Colossendeidae. It is native to the Arctic and northeast Atlantic.