New species of bone-eating worm Osedax from the abyssal South Atlantic Ocean (Annelida, Siboglinidae)

By

Fujiwara, Yoshihiro
Jimi, Naoto
Sumida, Paulo Yukio Gomes
Kawato, Masaru
Kitazato, Hiroshi

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

814

Pages

53--69

Subjects

Polychaeta São Paulo Ridge tax

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.814.28869

 

Abstract

A new species of bone-eating annelid, Osedaxbraziliensissp. n., found in a sunken whale carcass at a depth of 4,204 m at the base of the São Paulo Ridge in the South Atlantic Ocean off the Brazilian coast is described. The organism was retrieved using the human-occupied vehicle Shinkai 6500 during the QUELLE 2013 expedition. This is the 26th species of the genus and the first discovery from the South Atlantic Ocean, representing the deepest record of Osedax worldwide to date. This species morphologically resembles Osedaxfrankpressi but is distinguished by the presence of a yellow bump or patch behind the prostomium and its trunk length. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using three genetic markers (COI, 16S, and 18S) showed that O.braziliensissp. n. is distinct from all other Osedax worms reported and is a sister species of O.frankpressi.