Feeding off whale bones at the bottom of the ocean, the Osedax genus of marine worms was first described by scientists in 2004. In these creatures, harems of tiny males are wholly encased in the tubes that surround the females. Now Robert Vrijenhoek of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Moss Landing, California, and his colleagues say there are at least another 12 putative species (Osedax orange-collar, pictured) in addition to the five previously described.
The team examined DNA sequences and physical traits of Osedax from whale remains and conclude that these newly discovered species have been evolutionarily separate for millions of years.
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Biodiversity: Weird worms. Nature 462, 254 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/462254a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/462254a
