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A team of marine biologists and zoologists from Japan, Malaysia, the U.S., and Russia found two new Hesionidae species. The group spotted the worms in ghost shrimp-made sandy tunnels off Japan’s Ryukyu Islands (part of Okinawa’s tidal flats) in their PeerJ study. They detail the worms and their Hesionidae family tree placement.
Phyllodocid “bristle worms” Hesionidae have legs like hair comb tines. Some have been found off island shorelines, but most are on continental shelf. Each has anterior segments that allow the worm to twist and turn. The researchers discovered the two new species while investigating ghost shrimp, commonly known as glass shrimp, burrowing behaviors.
While exploring shrimp burrows, the crew found two new species of brilliant red, four-eyed worms in residence. Due to their unusual back organ shape, they are dubbed Parahesione apiculata and pulvinata.
All four P. pulvinata eyes were dark red and near two pairs of cirri, according to researchers. P. apiculata’s four discrete eyes had triplets of cirri.
The researchers believe the worms’ flat bodies let them survive with their shrimp burrow counterparts. They propose the worms and shrimp may have an unknown symbiotic relationship.
According to the team, ghost shrimp maintain a hypoxic atmosphere to protect themselves from predators, which explains their bright red bodies. They observe that such shrimp may live for nearly a week without oxygen, and their deep burrows allow them to hide from predators.
The research team also notes that neither species was identified elsewhere, suggesting they are obligatory symbionts.
Sources:
Naoto Jimi et al. (2023). Two new species of Parahesione (Annelida: Hesionidae) associated with ghost shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda) and their phylogenetic relationships, PeerJ. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16346
https://phys.org/news/2023-11-species-worms-japan-ryukyu-islands.html
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