Document of bibliographic reference 350940

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

A new species of Acoela possessing a middorsal appendage with a possible sensory function

Abstract

Acoels, belonging to Xenacoelomorpha, are small worms with a relatively simple body plan and are considered a critical clade for understanding the evolution of bilaterians. Despite acoels' importance, however, many undiscovered species are predicted to be present worldwide. Here, we describe a new marine acoel species, Amphiscolops oni sp. nov., based on materials collected from the intertidal and subtidal zones of rocky shores at several localities along the Japanese Pacific coast. The new species is approximately 3 mm long and shows typical characteristics of the family Convolutidae, such as the presence of eyespots, symbiosis with algae, position of the gonopores, morphology of the bursal nozzles, lack of central singlet microtubules in the axonemes of spermatozoa, and funnel-like posture of the anterior end. Based on morphology and the results of molecular phylogenetic analyses, we assign this species to the genus Amphiscolops. Interestingly, these worms show unique behaviors such as swimming by flapping the lateral sides and actively capturing prey by swinging the anterior funnel. Furthermore, they possess a dorsal appendage—a characteristic previously unreported in Xenacoelomorpha—representing an evolutionary novelty acquired by this species.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:000752098100014

Bibliographic citation

Asai, M.; Miyazawa, H.; Yanase, R.; Inaba, K.; Nakano, H. (2022). A new species of Acoela possessing a middorsal appendage with a possible sensory function. Zool. Sci. 39(1): 147-156. https://dx.doi.org/10.2108/zs210058

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true