• Question: Why do spiders need eight eyes?

    Asked by libslytherin to Mike, Pip, Tianfu, Tim, Tom on 2 Jul 2012.
    • Photo: Philippa Bird

      Philippa Bird answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      I don’t know, it obviously gave them some sort of advantage in evolution. Either to see prey or avoid danger.

    • Photo: Tim Stephens

      Tim Stephens answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      I don’t know either. As Pip says, it’s probably evolutionary and I suspect that a Biology textbook (or the internet) has a great answer for you.

    • Photo: Tom Lister

      Tom Lister answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      I’m not sure if they are all considered ‘eyes’, rather they have two eyes which are good at seeing and another 6 things than can sense light. I think these may have come from the compound eyes of their ancestors (like flies eyes), but may not be of much use any longer- i.e. lots of spiders are evolving away from 8 eyes towards having only 2.

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