Scientific Reports
Info
Each year, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) nominates ten remarkable new marine species.
We will be introducing these marine species one by one and are now introducing the mimic worm Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio.
“Mimicry is often considered the sincerest form of flattery... or in the salty, aquatic realms, the best way to a free lunch.
The newly described silurian worm Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio Jimi, Britayev and Martin 2024 lives on soft corals in the tropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
The body of these unusual worms is brightly colored, contains only a few segments, has small, simple chaetae and large, spindle-shaped dorsal keels.
Its closest relatives have many more segments, shorter dorsal keels, and shorter, denser parapodia with large, unsegmented chaetae.
The greatly modified appearance of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio offers two interesting possibilities.
The color patterns and frond-like body appear to provide camouflage against the branching soft corals, suggesting that camouflage is a means of avoiding detection by predators.
However, this worm's slender body, sparse but long appendages, and bright colors are strongly reminiscent of the morphology of nudibranch mollusks, whose diet of cnidarian tissue and ability to bind the stinging capsules produced by their prey provides an excellent defense against predators.
Although their modular bodies and ubiquity in marine and terrestrial environments would make annelids good candidates for the evolution of mimicry, it is rare.
Batesian mimicry, in which a harmless mimic develops similarity to an unpalatable or harmful model, is known from a few cases, and Müllerian mimicry, in which a harmful or dangerous mimic develops similarity to another harmful model to increase danger, is largely unknown in annelids.
Examination of the dorsal cirri of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio, which closely resemble the cerata in which a sea slug encases the stinging capsules of its cnidarian prey, revealed that these did not contain stinging capsules.
However, the authors were only able to dissect two specimens and are not willing to rule out Müllerian mimicry based on this small sample.
Jimi said: “If we could find more individuals, we could determine exactly whether this species is venomous.
We will examine the evolutionary process of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio to clarify which form (Batesian mimicry or Müllerian mimicry) was used to successfully achieve mimicry and why it imitates the venomous ribbon worms.
Although the details of the interaction between the worms, their soft coral hosts and the nudibranchs have yet to be determined, it seems likely that the unusual morphology of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio helps them to live in reef ecosystems that are teeming with predators and competitors.
In the photo, on the left, the new worm species Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio and on the right, the nudibranch mollusc Coryphellina exoptata.”
Etymology
The new genus name “Cryptochaetosyllis” is derived from crypto (Latin) + chaetae + syllis (a Greek nymph from Sicily) and refers to the fact that the worm's bristles remain covered by tissue inside the chaetal lobe.
Etymology:
The species name “imitatio” (Latin for “imitation”) refers to the body shape and coloration of the species, which mimics sea slugs.
Original Source
Jimi, N.; Britayev, T. A.; Sako, M.; Woo, S. P.; Martin, D. (2024).
A new genus and species of nudibranch-mimicking Syllidae (Annelida, Polychaeta). Scientific Reports. 14(1)17123: 1-11.,
available online at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-66465-4
Each year, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) nominates ten remarkable new marine species.
We will be introducing these marine species one by one and are now introducing the mimic worm Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio.
“Mimicry is often considered the sincerest form of flattery... or in the salty, aquatic realms, the best way to a free lunch.
The newly described silurian worm Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio Jimi, Britayev and Martin 2024 lives on soft corals in the tropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
The body of these unusual worms is brightly colored, contains only a few segments, has small, simple chaetae and large, spindle-shaped dorsal keels.
Its closest relatives have many more segments, shorter dorsal keels, and shorter, denser parapodia with large, unsegmented chaetae.
The greatly modified appearance of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio offers two interesting possibilities.
The color patterns and frond-like body appear to provide camouflage against the branching soft corals, suggesting that camouflage is a means of avoiding detection by predators.
However, this worm's slender body, sparse but long appendages, and bright colors are strongly reminiscent of the morphology of nudibranch mollusks, whose diet of cnidarian tissue and ability to bind the stinging capsules produced by their prey provides an excellent defense against predators.
Although their modular bodies and ubiquity in marine and terrestrial environments would make annelids good candidates for the evolution of mimicry, it is rare.
Batesian mimicry, in which a harmless mimic develops similarity to an unpalatable or harmful model, is known from a few cases, and Müllerian mimicry, in which a harmful or dangerous mimic develops similarity to another harmful model to increase danger, is largely unknown in annelids.
Examination of the dorsal cirri of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio, which closely resemble the cerata in which a sea slug encases the stinging capsules of its cnidarian prey, revealed that these did not contain stinging capsules.
However, the authors were only able to dissect two specimens and are not willing to rule out Müllerian mimicry based on this small sample.
Jimi said: “If we could find more individuals, we could determine exactly whether this species is venomous.
We will examine the evolutionary process of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio to clarify which form (Batesian mimicry or Müllerian mimicry) was used to successfully achieve mimicry and why it imitates the venomous ribbon worms.
Although the details of the interaction between the worms, their soft coral hosts and the nudibranchs have yet to be determined, it seems likely that the unusual morphology of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio helps them to live in reef ecosystems that are teeming with predators and competitors.
In the photo, on the left, the new worm species Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio and on the right, the nudibranch mollusc Coryphellina exoptata.”
Etymology
The new genus name “Cryptochaetosyllis” is derived from crypto (Latin) + chaetae + syllis (a Greek nymph from Sicily) and refers to the fact that the worm's bristles remain covered by tissue inside the chaetal lobe.
Etymology:
The species name “imitatio” (Latin for “imitation”) refers to the body shape and coloration of the species, which mimics sea slugs.
Original Source
Jimi, N.; Britayev, T. A.; Sako, M.; Woo, S. P.; Martin, D. (2024).
A new genus and species of nudibranch-mimicking Syllidae (Annelida, Polychaeta). Scientific Reports. 14(1)17123: 1-11.,
available online at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-66465-4
We will be introducing these marine species one by one and are now introducing the mimic worm Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio.
“Mimicry is often considered the sincerest form of flattery... or in the salty, aquatic realms, the best way to a free lunch.
The newly described silurian worm Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio Jimi, Britayev and Martin 2024 lives on soft corals in the tropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
The body of these unusual worms is brightly colored, contains only a few segments, has small, simple chaetae and large, spindle-shaped dorsal keels.
Its closest relatives have many more segments, shorter dorsal keels, and shorter, denser parapodia with large, unsegmented chaetae.
The greatly modified appearance of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio offers two interesting possibilities.
The color patterns and frond-like body appear to provide camouflage against the branching soft corals, suggesting that camouflage is a means of avoiding detection by predators.
However, this worm's slender body, sparse but long appendages, and bright colors are strongly reminiscent of the morphology of nudibranch mollusks, whose diet of cnidarian tissue and ability to bind the stinging capsules produced by their prey provides an excellent defense against predators.
Although their modular bodies and ubiquity in marine and terrestrial environments would make annelids good candidates for the evolution of mimicry, it is rare.
Batesian mimicry, in which a harmless mimic develops similarity to an unpalatable or harmful model, is known from a few cases, and Müllerian mimicry, in which a harmful or dangerous mimic develops similarity to another harmful model to increase danger, is largely unknown in annelids.
Examination of the dorsal cirri of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio, which closely resemble the cerata in which a sea slug encases the stinging capsules of its cnidarian prey, revealed that these did not contain stinging capsules.
However, the authors were only able to dissect two specimens and are not willing to rule out Müllerian mimicry based on this small sample.
Jimi said: “If we could find more individuals, we could determine exactly whether this species is venomous.
We will examine the evolutionary process of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio to clarify which form (Batesian mimicry or Müllerian mimicry) was used to successfully achieve mimicry and why it imitates the venomous ribbon worms.
Although the details of the interaction between the worms, their soft coral hosts and the nudibranchs have yet to be determined, it seems likely that the unusual morphology of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio helps them to live in reef ecosystems that are teeming with predators and competitors.
In the photo, on the left, the new worm species Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio and on the right, the nudibranch mollusc Coryphellina exoptata.”
Etymology
The new genus name “Cryptochaetosyllis” is derived from crypto (Latin) + chaetae + syllis (a Greek nymph from Sicily) and refers to the fact that the worm's bristles remain covered by tissue inside the chaetal lobe.
Etymology:
The species name “imitatio” (Latin for “imitation”) refers to the body shape and coloration of the species, which mimics sea slugs.
Original Source
Jimi, N.; Britayev, T. A.; Sako, M.; Woo, S. P.; Martin, D. (2024).
A new genus and species of nudibranch-mimicking Syllidae (Annelida, Polychaeta). Scientific Reports. 14(1)17123: 1-11.,
available online at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-66465-4
Each year, the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) nominates ten remarkable new marine species.
We will be introducing these marine species one by one and are now introducing the mimic worm Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio.
“Mimicry is often considered the sincerest form of flattery... or in the salty, aquatic realms, the best way to a free lunch.
The newly described silurian worm Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio Jimi, Britayev and Martin 2024 lives on soft corals in the tropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
The body of these unusual worms is brightly colored, contains only a few segments, has small, simple chaetae and large, spindle-shaped dorsal keels.
Its closest relatives have many more segments, shorter dorsal keels, and shorter, denser parapodia with large, unsegmented chaetae.
The greatly modified appearance of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio offers two interesting possibilities.
The color patterns and frond-like body appear to provide camouflage against the branching soft corals, suggesting that camouflage is a means of avoiding detection by predators.
However, this worm's slender body, sparse but long appendages, and bright colors are strongly reminiscent of the morphology of nudibranch mollusks, whose diet of cnidarian tissue and ability to bind the stinging capsules produced by their prey provides an excellent defense against predators.
Although their modular bodies and ubiquity in marine and terrestrial environments would make annelids good candidates for the evolution of mimicry, it is rare.
Batesian mimicry, in which a harmless mimic develops similarity to an unpalatable or harmful model, is known from a few cases, and Müllerian mimicry, in which a harmful or dangerous mimic develops similarity to another harmful model to increase danger, is largely unknown in annelids.
Examination of the dorsal cirri of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio, which closely resemble the cerata in which a sea slug encases the stinging capsules of its cnidarian prey, revealed that these did not contain stinging capsules.
However, the authors were only able to dissect two specimens and are not willing to rule out Müllerian mimicry based on this small sample.
Jimi said: “If we could find more individuals, we could determine exactly whether this species is venomous.
We will examine the evolutionary process of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio to clarify which form (Batesian mimicry or Müllerian mimicry) was used to successfully achieve mimicry and why it imitates the venomous ribbon worms.
Although the details of the interaction between the worms, their soft coral hosts and the nudibranchs have yet to be determined, it seems likely that the unusual morphology of Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio helps them to live in reef ecosystems that are teeming with predators and competitors.
In the photo, on the left, the new worm species Cryptochaetosyllis imitatio and on the right, the nudibranch mollusc Coryphellina exoptata.”
Etymology
The new genus name “Cryptochaetosyllis” is derived from crypto (Latin) + chaetae + syllis (a Greek nymph from Sicily) and refers to the fact that the worm's bristles remain covered by tissue inside the chaetal lobe.
Etymology:
The species name “imitatio” (Latin for “imitation”) refers to the body shape and coloration of the species, which mimics sea slugs.
Original Source
Jimi, N.; Britayev, T. A.; Sako, M.; Woo, S. P.; Martin, D. (2024).
A new genus and species of nudibranch-mimicking Syllidae (Annelida, Polychaeta). Scientific Reports. 14(1)17123: 1-11.,
available online at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-66465-4
