Greg Rouse, a marine biologist at UC San Diegos Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and other researchers have identified a previously unidentified species of deep-sea worm residing near a methane seep situated roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) away from Costa Ricas Pacific coast. Rouse, manager of the Scripps Benthic Invertebrate Collection, co-authored a study explaining the brand-new species in the journal PLOS ONE.The worm, called Pectinereis strickrotti, has actually an extended body that is flanked by a row of feathery, gill-tipped appendages called parapodia on either side, and Rouse stated its sinuous swimming reminded him of a snake. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation.Exploring Costa Rican Methane SeepsRouse and his coworkers have come across roughly 450 species at the Costa Rican methane seeps given that 2009, with this latest discovery bringing the number of those types that were brand-new to science to 48. The microbes that can make methane into food develop the base of a food web that at the Costa Rican seeps is dominated by mussels, crabs, and soft-bodied polychaete worms like this new types, said Rouse.The Discovery JourneyStrickrott and Rouse first encountered the new types in 2009 at a depth of around 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) throughout a dive in the Alvin human-occupied submersible, which is operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and owned by the U.S. Navy. Rouse stated the worms most likely have keen senses of smell and touch to help them browse their inky world.Pectinereis strickrotti has robust, even fearsome-looking jaws, however Rouse said their diet plan is still unidentified and that the types might simply as quickly be feeding on bacteria as larger fare like other worms.
The research study was supported by the National Science Foundation.Exploring Costa Rican Methane SeepsRouse and his coworkers have actually encountered approximately 450 species at the Costa Rican methane seeps considering that 2009, with this most current discovery bringing the number of those types that were brand-new to science to 48. The microbes that can make methane into food develop the base of a food web that at the Costa Rican seeps is controlled by mussels, crabs, and soft-bodied polychaete worms like this brand-new species, said Rouse.The Discovery JourneyStrickrott and Rouse initially experienced the brand-new types in 2009 at a depth of around 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) throughout a dive in the Alvin human-occupied submersible, which is operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and owned by the U.S. Navy. Rouse said the worms probably have keen senses of odor and touch to assist them navigate their inky world.Pectinereis strickrotti has robust, even fearsome-looking jaws, but Rouse said their diet plan is still unknown and that the types might just as easily be feeding on germs as bigger fare like other worms.