00:00This spider is the only one on Earth to make the underwater world its home.
00:07But it still needs to breathe oxygen.
00:10So its genius solution is to build its very own diving bell.
00:15Hence its common name, the diving bell spider.
00:18First, it spins a bell-shaped silk web underwater using plant stems as scaffolding.
00:25Once the web is complete, it makes a trip to the surface to collect the air.
00:31As the spider dives back down, fine waterproof hairs on its legs trap air bubbles,
00:38which it carries back to its silk sanctuary.
00:41Bit by bit, the spider fills the dome with fresh oxygen.
00:46Back in the day, human engineers eventually figured out how to rig up hoses
00:51to pump fresh air into diving bells and prevent having to return to the surface when it ran out.
00:57But the spider's bubble does that all on its own.
01:01Dissolved oxygen in the water naturally diffuses into the bubble,
01:05while carbon dioxide diffuses out.
01:08This ensures the air inside stays fresh, breathable and tastes delicious.
01:15The spider can hunker down inside their submerged shelter for over 24 hours
01:21without having to replenish the air.
01:24This groovy setup minimises any encounters with surface predators
01:30and allows more time to hunt prey.
01:34The spider's damselfly larvae are a preferred delicacy for dinner.
01:47Boff!
01:49The victim stood no chance against the diving bell spider's aquatic ambush.
01:53Transcription by CastingWords
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