Xenoturbella profunda
| Xenoturbella profunda | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Xenoturbella profunda | ||||||||||||
| Rouse et al., 2016 |
Xenoturbella profunda is a species of the genus Xenoturbella , which was described in 2016 together with three other species of the genus. The animals represent a very basic group of worm-like multicellular animals and are combined with the Acoelomorpha to form the Xenacoelomorpha .
features
Xenoturbella profunda corresponds in its characteristics to the other known species of the genus and reaches a body length of about 15 centimeters. The animals are pale pink in color and have a pair of clear furrows in the epidermis on the back. In addition, an annular furrow and a side furrow were discovered. The body is rounded off in front of the annular furrow, and gradually tapers towards the end of the body. The mouth opening is oval in the relaxed state, it lies on the underside in front of the annular furrow. The epidermal network takes up about two thirds of the abdomen.
The body wall contains gametes on both the back and the abdomen . In cross-section, the animals consist of the outer epidermis, underlying longitudinal and circular muscles, parenchymal tissue and a gastrodermis . The oocytes have a diameter of 450 micrometers, the sperm have spherical heads.
In the tissue of the holotype, in addition to the DNA of the species, those of the clam Archivesica gigas , which belong to the Vesicomyidae, were identified.
Locations and way of life
 
| |
Locality of Xenoturbella profunda
|
The species was described on the basis of seven specimens from the sediment of the Pescadero basin off the Mexican coast from a depth of 3700 meters, they stayed near a hydrothermal spring . The animals thus belong to the species within the genus that has so far been found in the deepest locality. Together with other benthic organisms, they were sucked off the sea floor with the help of a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).
No information is available on the animals' way of life. The sediment on which they were found was colonized by bacterial turf and other organisms, including the archivesica gigas mussel .
Systematics
|
Phylogenetic system of the genus Xenoturbella according to Rouse et al. 2016
|
Xenoturbella profunda was scientifically described in 2016 as an independent species together with three other species of the genus by a working group led by Greg W. Rouse . Due to the clear similarity to the species of the genus Xenoturbella already described , it was also placed in this genus together with the other new species.
The relationship of the previously known species was investigated on the basis of a molecular-biological DNA analysis, according to which X. profunda, together with X. churro and X. monstrosa, forms a common taxon of deep-sea species that are opposed to the shallow water species X. bocki and X. hollandorum .
The suffix profunda is derived from the designation for "depth" to name the location in the deep sea.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Greg W. Rouse, Nerida G. Wilson, Jose I. Carvajal, Robert C. Vrijenhoek: New deep-sea species of Xenoturbella and the position of Xenacoelomorpha. Nature 530, Feb. 4, 2016; Pp. 94-97 doi : 10.1038 / nature16545
- ^ Johanna Taylor Cannon, Bruno Cossermelli Vellutini, Julian Smith, Fredrik Ronquist, Ulf Jondelius, Andreas Hejnol: Xenacoelomorpha is the sister group to Nephrozoa. Nature 530, Feb. 4, 2016; Pp. 89-93 doi : 10.1038 / nature16520
literature
- Greg W. Rouse, Nerida G. Wilson, Jose I. Carvajal, Robert C. Vrijenhoek: New deep-sea species of Xenoturbella and the position of Xenacoelomorpha. Nature 530, Feb. 4, 2016; Pp. 94-97 doi : 10.1038 / nature16545