News Animals

It takes guts for a sea spider to pump blood

These arthropods’ unusual digestive system can act like a heart and gills

sea spider

LEGGY MULTITASKERS  The skinny legs of sea spiders (one shown from Antarctica) hold guts that digest food and help pump blood.

Timothy Dwyer (PolarTREC 2016), Courtesy of ARCUS

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

NEW ORLEANS — A newfound way of delivering oxygen in animal circulatory systems depends mostly on food sloshing back and forth in the guts.