The accordion worm: a new genus and species of heteronemertean (Nemertea, Pilidiophora) from Galicia (Spain)
Ribbon worms (Nemertea) are a less-known group of invertebrates, specially challenging for taxonomic studies due to the scarcity of external morphological features. As a consequence, the number of known nemertean species might represent just a small fraction of the true diversity of the phylum. The...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Royal Society
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250313 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850221418236608512 |
|---|---|
| author | Aida Verdes Carlota Gracia-Sancha Jacinto Pérez-Dieste María Conejero Patricia Alvarez Campos Carlos Leiva Sergi Taboada Ana Riesgo Juan Junoy |
| author_facet | Aida Verdes Carlota Gracia-Sancha Jacinto Pérez-Dieste María Conejero Patricia Alvarez Campos Carlos Leiva Sergi Taboada Ana Riesgo Juan Junoy |
| author_sort | Aida Verdes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ribbon worms (Nemertea) are a less-known group of invertebrates, specially challenging for taxonomic studies due to the scarcity of external morphological features. As a consequence, the number of known nemertean species might represent just a small fraction of the true diversity of the phylum. The present study increases the number of known ribbon worm species with the description of the accordion worm Pararosa vigarae sp. nov., a new genus and species of Heternonemertea from the northwest coast of Spain. We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses based on partial sequences of 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and histone H3 gene markers that indicated the newly identified specimens represent a new genus and species of heteronemertean in the family Lineidae. We also provide morphological data and images illustrating its unique behaviour, contracting its body into a series of rings similar to an accordion. Our results increase our knowledge on the diversity of an important but often overlooked invertebrate phylum and emphasize the need to combine morphological and molecular data to discover new ribbon worm species and better evaluate the true diversity of the phylum. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-63f8cc57dff04da2a763e3c07e43099e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-63f8cc57dff04da2a763e3c07e43099e2025-08-20T02:06:44ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032025-05-0112510.1098/rsos.250313The accordion worm: a new genus and species of heteronemertean (Nemertea, Pilidiophora) from Galicia (Spain)Aida Verdes0Carlota Gracia-Sancha1Jacinto Pérez-Dieste2María Conejero3Patricia Alvarez Campos4Carlos Leiva5Sergi Taboada6Ana Riesgo7Juan Junoy8Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, SpainBiodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, SpainGrupo de Estudos do Medio Mariño (GEMM), A Coruña, SpainBiodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, SpainDepartment of Biology, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, SpainUniversity of Guam, Mangilao, Guam, GuamBiodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, SpainBiodiversity and Evolutionary Biology Department, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, SpainDepartamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcala de Henares, SpainRibbon worms (Nemertea) are a less-known group of invertebrates, specially challenging for taxonomic studies due to the scarcity of external morphological features. As a consequence, the number of known nemertean species might represent just a small fraction of the true diversity of the phylum. The present study increases the number of known ribbon worm species with the description of the accordion worm Pararosa vigarae sp. nov., a new genus and species of Heternonemertea from the northwest coast of Spain. We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses based on partial sequences of 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and histone H3 gene markers that indicated the newly identified specimens represent a new genus and species of heteronemertean in the family Lineidae. We also provide morphological data and images illustrating its unique behaviour, contracting its body into a series of rings similar to an accordion. Our results increase our knowledge on the diversity of an important but often overlooked invertebrate phylum and emphasize the need to combine morphological and molecular data to discover new ribbon worm species and better evaluate the true diversity of the phylum.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250313accordion wormHeteronemerteaLineidaeNemerteaPararosa vigaraeribbon worm |
| spellingShingle | Aida Verdes Carlota Gracia-Sancha Jacinto Pérez-Dieste María Conejero Patricia Alvarez Campos Carlos Leiva Sergi Taboada Ana Riesgo Juan Junoy The accordion worm: a new genus and species of heteronemertean (Nemertea, Pilidiophora) from Galicia (Spain) Royal Society Open Science accordion worm Heteronemertea Lineidae Nemertea Pararosa vigarae ribbon worm |
| title | The accordion worm: a new genus and species of heteronemertean (Nemertea, Pilidiophora) from Galicia (Spain) |
| title_full | The accordion worm: a new genus and species of heteronemertean (Nemertea, Pilidiophora) from Galicia (Spain) |
| title_fullStr | The accordion worm: a new genus and species of heteronemertean (Nemertea, Pilidiophora) from Galicia (Spain) |
| title_full_unstemmed | The accordion worm: a new genus and species of heteronemertean (Nemertea, Pilidiophora) from Galicia (Spain) |
| title_short | The accordion worm: a new genus and species of heteronemertean (Nemertea, Pilidiophora) from Galicia (Spain) |
| title_sort | accordion worm a new genus and species of heteronemertean nemertea pilidiophora from galicia spain |
| topic | accordion worm Heteronemertea Lineidae Nemertea Pararosa vigarae ribbon worm |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250313 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aidaverdes theaccordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT carlotagraciasancha theaccordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT jacintoperezdieste theaccordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT mariaconejero theaccordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT patriciaalvarezcampos theaccordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT carlosleiva theaccordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT sergitaboada theaccordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT anariesgo theaccordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT juanjunoy theaccordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT aidaverdes accordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT carlotagraciasancha accordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT jacintoperezdieste accordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT mariaconejero accordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT patriciaalvarezcampos accordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT carlosleiva accordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT sergitaboada accordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT anariesgo accordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain AT juanjunoy accordionwormanewgenusandspeciesofheteronemerteannemerteapilidiophorafromgaliciaspain |