New Species of Horseshoe Worm Discovered in Japan
Posted on April 4, 2014
A new species of horseshoe worm has been discovered in Japan. Horseshoe worms, which live at the bottom of oceans, have a U-shaped crown of tentacles called a lophophore. They belong to the small phylum Phoronida, which until now contained just ten species. The new species, Phoronis emigi, is the eleventh member of the group. A Phoronis emigi preserved in formalin is pictured above and a living Phoronis emigi, extending its lophophore, is pictured below.
The last new species in the group was discovered 62 years ago. The researchers say the new species is unique in the number and arrangement of body-wall muscle bundles and the position of the nephridia which is the excretory organ of some invertebrates. The new species is morphologically similar to sand-dwelling species Phoronis psammophila and it is closely related to Phoronis hippocrepia.
Dr Masato Hirose, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Japan, says in the announcement, "It is necessary to use both internal anatomy and molecular data for reveal the global diversity of horseshoe worm. The known phoronid diversity still remains low, with all specimens reported from limited habitats and the localities by the limited reports. Investigations at new localities or habitats may yield additional species in the future."
A research paper about the new species was published here in ZooKeys.
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