Scientists discovered a new species of aquatic worm on Deception Island in the Southern Ocean.
The newly-discovered marine invertebrate, named Parougia diapason, is a member of a group of worms that usually live in marine seabed, the University of Barcelona reported. The worm was uncovered in bones of a common minke whale, suggesting they fed on the carcass after death.
"The Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands are a widely studied area. However, few species have been described so far on Deception Island," said Professor Conxita Àvila, head of the multidisciplinary project DISTANTCOM.
The researchers performed morphological and phylogenetic analyses to distinguish the new species. The species was found to lack the dorsal cirrus and have morphological characters related to the jaw apparatus that distinguishes it from other similar species.
"The study -highlights Taboada- provides comprehensive information about the new species, not only from a morphological and ecological point of view, but also places the species in its phylogenetic context," Àvila said. "In the past, this type of information was not available but, lately, it is more and more common to find species descriptions that include a phylogenetic tree. Moreover, this kind of information is collected on public databases that every interested researcher can consult."
One of the most interesting observations was that the worms quickly colonized a new territory that was rich in organic, demonstrating itself as an extremely opportunistic species.
"It is necessary to continue studying new species and to do our best to protect them," Àvila said. "The Antarctica has very special habitats which are difficult to study; measures must be maximized in order to avoid, for instance anthropogenic pollution and tourism impact."
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Polar Biology.
