They are found along the east coast from Maine to Florida, west to the Dakotas and in the south in Texas, and south into South America.
They live near the water on water plants, under boat docks, and in boat houses.
They are large spiders, reaching more than an inch long. They look like wolf spiders. They are grayish-brown with lighter stripes and 6 light spots on the abdomen. They have 8 eyes. Females are larger than males.
They tap their front legs on the surface of water to attract prey. They dive into the water to catch prey.
They eat water insects, tadpoles, and small fish. They can eat 5 times their own weight in one day.
Females spin a silken sac, lay her eggs in it, and then carries them around in her front jaws until just before the eggs hatch. When they are ready to hatch, the female will attach the egg sac between leaves. Then she guards them until they are big enough to go out on their own.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Pisauridae
Genus: Dolomedes
Species: D. triton
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