Researchers have discovered how a species of air-breathing spider can spend its whole life under water, only venturing to the surface occasionally to replenish its air supply. Interestingly, the diving bell spider has all the features of a typical terrestrial spider, but is known to live constantly underwater, hence its unofficial name. How long can worms live under water? They actually make a kind of inverted silken bowl under the surface of the water. Water spiders spend their entire lives under water, only venturing to the surface to replenish their diving bell air supply. Like eight-legged scuba divers, some spiders can breathe underwater using an air bubble as an oxygen tank of sorts. Air bubble helps spiders survive under water. In fact, diving bell spiders are so good at living underwater that they have to come up to the surface of the water for air only once a day. There's one in my bathroom and I need to know when I can stop strip-washing in the downstairs loo. The spider would have been a Tegenaria - probably Tegenaria gigantea - and they ain't no good at swimmimg! How long do house spiders live? Several years. Worms can normally live under water their entire life span. Now, scientists have figured out some of the fascinating details of this arachnid diving bell, including that it can give the spiders more than a day's worth of air. However, it depends on the species of the worm. The spiders that stay under water for a very long time are called diving bell spiders. Like eight-legged scuba divers, some spiders can breathe underwater using an air bubble as an oxygen tank of sorts. Environment.