New worms named after Jane Austen – key to marine monitoring
Three new species of marine bristle worms in Nordic waters have been discovered as part of a species description project. According to Maël Grosse, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg, a better understanding of which species are actually present in the sea is important for environmental monitoring.
“Without good taxonomy, we won’t get good data, and without good data, we won’t get good results,” he says.
Marine bristleworms are a very numerous group. The various species are often smalland are easily damaged when collecte. They can be difficult to distinguish from one another. Many of the descriptions used for species identification are also outdated and not particularly accurate, compared with how taxonomists work today.
One example is the description of Aphelochaeta marioni, a marine bristle worm in the family Cirratulidae that Maël Grosse at the Department of Marine Sciences has been working on, together with several other researchers. The species was described and named as far back as 1894.
"It wasn’t a particularly good description, and the original material that was examined has been lost, apart from a few specimens mounted on microscope slides that look little more than specks of dust. But because the name was published so early, many people have used it and it appears throughout the literature."
Basic biological knowledge
Since 2022, Maël Grosse has been working on re-describing that species and another one in accordance with modern taxonomic practice. The marine biologist regards the fact that the researchers also found and were able to describe three entirely new species as a small victory for taxonomy.
"This is basic biological knowledge. We map and name stars and galaxies, and all sorts of things. I think we can also make the effort to get to know and name the species that actually exist here on our own planet."
But, according to Maël Grosse, making sense of the often complex taxonomy, discovering new species and naming them also has a more practical significance. For example, in order to see how benthic fauna is changing, researchers and environmental monitors need to know which species are actually present there.
Inadequate taxonomy hinders assessment
"If you cannot identify the species properly, you simply do not have a good basis for studying the state of the environment, distribution patterns or changes in biological communities," says Maël Grosse.
The same link is made in the scientific article describing the project’s findings. Inadequate taxonomy has hampered assessments of biodiversity and the monitoring of seabed environments.
The three new species in the Cirratulidae family were found along the Norwegian coast, and two of them were also found off the coasts of Sweden and Iceland. They live at various depths, ranging from around 35 to just over 600 metres. And they have one thing in common apart from their kinship: all three have been named after female protagonists in the novels of the English author Jane Austen – Anne Elliot in Persuasion, Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility and Emma Woodhouse in Emma.
“They are original names taken from fictional characters that will stand the test of time. And I like Jane Austen, so I chose those names,” says Maël Grosse.
More researchers are needed
The new species are unlikely to be the last. In the Cirratulidae family alone, there are 58 named species of marine bristle worms described in Europe, but DNA analyses suggest there may be as many as 100 more species. Furthermore, several older species descriptions need to be updated.
There is still a lot of work to be done, according to Maël Grosse.
“I am one of the few researchers on this side of the Atlantic working specifically with this group. Worldwide, there are probably fewer than ten of us. And this is work that takes a great deal of time. In fact, we are discovering more new species than we have time to describe,” he says.
Text: Mikael Andersson
Three new species of marine bristle worms are described: Aphelochaeta annae, Aphelochaeta elinorae and Tharyx emmae. All named after characters in Jane Austen´s novels.
Two long-known species are redescribed: Aphelochaeta marioni, described in 1894, and Aphelochaeta mcintoshi, described in 1914. The old descriptions lacked important details necessary for reliable species identification.
The species have been studied using both DNA and morphology. The work is based on newly collected material and specimens from natural history collections.
The species studied are found in the north-eastern Atlantic, including along the coasts of Norway and Sweden. The three new species have been found at various depths, ranging from around 35 to over 600 metres.
Significantly more species may remain to be described. Fifty-eight named species of the family Cirratulidae are recorded in Europe, whilst previous DNA analyses suggest a further 83–96 species, most of which are likely still undescribed.
