Uv-adaptation
Guides
Halobates
sea skaters, ocean striders
Halobates is a genus of marine water striders comprising over 40 species, representing the only insects known to inhabit the open ocean surface. Five species are truly pelagic, living far from land on calm tropical and subtropical seas, while most species occupy sheltered coastal marine habitats. These insects possess specialized adaptations for life on the high seas, including hydrofuge body hairs, reduced or absent wings, and modified middle legs that function as paddles for propulsion. They are predators that feed on organisms trapped in the sea surface microlayer, and their unique ecology makes them significant components of the neustonic community.