New genera and species of polynoids provide phylogenetic insights into deep-sea scale-worms
This paper was published end 2018 after two long years of work and I would like to remember it :D
The family Polynoidae is one of the six polychaete families of scale-worms, so-called because they are covered by some sort of scales on dorsal side (often lost). This family contains approximately 900 species within 18 subfamilies, some of them restricted to the deep sea, such as Macellicephalinae which is the most diverse among the deep-sea subfamilies. In the abyssal Equatorial Pacific Ocean, the biodiversity of benthic communities is at stake in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ) due to increased industrial interest for polymetallic nodules. Actually, the CCFZ harbors the largest fields of manganese nodules with a minimum sale value of 25,000 billion US Dollars. Unfortunately, the biodiversity records of invertebrates in this region are scarce; but the data gathered during the JPI Oceans cruise SO239 significantly contributed to fill this gap with five different areas sampled between 4000-5000 m depth (Eastern CCFZ).
A large collection of deep-sea polynoids collected during the cruise led to the discovery of about 80 molecular operational taxonomic units (or potential species) and, for the first time ever, allowed us to provide insights into the evolution of this poorly understood group. Among these potential species, 17 new species and four new genera have been described. This highlights the high diversity hidden at abyssal depth.
We still know very little about the worms living in the CCFZ. In every sample taken from the abyss, we found new species. We need funds/time/people to describe them before is too late!
Furthermore, I drew inspiration naming species from geek culture, such as: Abyssarya acus named after Arya Stark from the novel “A song of ice and fire” (TV series Game of Thrones) by George R. R. Martin; Hodor hodor named after another character from the same book; or yet, Yodanoe desbruyeresi dedicated to the Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Yoda, in the Star Wars saga. Please, click on the pictures below for detail.
The head shape of polynoids in shallow waters commonly presents two lateral antennae and one median antenna. The presence of these antennae is an important character helping the classification of the subfamilies. Based on molecular and morphological phylogenetic analyses, we observed that the subfamilies without lateral antennae composed a homogeneous group within the polynoids from both shallow and deep-sea. Interestingly, the subfamilies without median antenna also composed a group inside, so-called Anantennata. In order to create a homogeneous clade determined by the absence of lateral antennae and facilitate the identification of the subfamily, we have synonymized ten subfamilies with Macellicephalinae, the first-named subfamily.
Currently (May 2020), the number of valid species beloging to Macellicephalinae is 116.
There is so much more out there :P
Moreover, Polynoids are just one among the 42 families of polychaetes found in the CCFZ and threatened by nodules mining operations which are about to start. We need to study them before is too late.
This research received funding from the JPI Oceans pilot action ‘Ecological Aspects of Deep-Sea Mining’, the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007–2013) under the MIDAS project and REMIMA.
Reference:
Bonifácio, P., & Menot, L. (online 2018 printed 2019). New genera and species from the Equatorial Pacific provide phylogenetic insights into deep-sea Polynoidae (Annelida). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 185(3), 555–635. http://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zly063