HomeScience and ResearchAnimal StudiesSpooky Sea Creatures: Meet Three New Sea Worm Species That Look Like...

Spooky Sea Creatures: Meet Three New Sea Worm Species That Look Like Japanese Yokai

Published on

These small worms, known for their luminescence, were discovered in shallow water and have been named after a ghostly yokai, a lantern yokai, and a renowned Japanese marine biologist.

A group of researchers from Nagoya University in Japan have made an exciting discovery – they’ve identified three new species of bioluminescent polycirrus worms from different parts of Japan that glow in the dark.

These small worms are usually found in shallow water and are known for their ability to produce light. What makes this discovery even more intriguing is that the researchers have named these new species after creatures from Japanese folklore, including a ghostly yokai and a lantern yokai, as well as an esteemed marine biologist.

The researchers have shared their findings in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

Meet Ghost Of The Deep Named After After Japanese Yokai
Meet Ghost Of The Deep Named After After Japanese Yokai

Although there are over 7,000 species of luminescent organisms in the world, scientists have only studied a small fraction of them. One of the main reasons for this is that some specimens are difficult to classify into specific species, which limits the scope of research. Without accurate species identification, comparing research results becomes challenging. However, Naoto Jimi and Special Assistant Professor Manabu Bessho-Uehara from Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Science, along with members from AIST, Olympus Corporation, and Japan Underwater Films Corporation, have made significant progress in organizing Polycirrus worms based on their diversity. Through their research, they’ve discovered three new species of polycirrus worms, all of which emit a blue-violet light.

Spooky Sea Creatures: Meet Three New Sea Worm Species That Look Like Japanese Yokai
Spooky Sea Creatures: Meet Three New Sea Worm Species That Look Like Japanese Yokai

According to Jimi, when they stumbled upon these newfound species, they were in awe and felt an obligation to carefully document and classify them. He further explained that their previous studies on the luminescence of Polycirrus worms had already established it as an important subject for bioluminescence research. However, through their recent discovery, they’ve come to realize that what they initially believed was a single species of Polycirrus is actually three distinct species.

Since the researchers discovered these unique sea worms in Japan, they decided to give them traditional Japanese names. They named two of the three species Polycirrus onibi and Polycirrus aoandon, which alludes to their blue-violet luminescence. In Japanese folklore, onibi (demon fire) describes a mysterious yokai that takes the form of a floating ball of light, thought to lead travelers astray in the mountains and forests. Meanwhile, aoandon (blue lantern) is a ghostly yokai depicted as a woman wearing a white kimono with horns and sharp teeth, known to haunt Japanese homes and turn the light of lanterns into an eerie blue hue. The third worm species was named Polycirrus ikeguchii, as a tribute to Shinichiro Ikeguchi, the former director of the Notojima Aquarium.

A Host Of Bizarre Creatures Discovered In Japan Named After Japanese Yokai

“We used the names of Japanese yokai, such as onibi and aoandon, for the new species because the hazy violet-blue bioluminescence emitted by the Polycirrus species is strikingly similar to the descriptions of these creatures found in folklore,” adds Jimi. “Polycirrus ikeguchii, on the other hand, was described from specimens collected in the Notojima region in Japan. As Shinichi Ikeguchi was the former director of Notojima Aquarium and helped to find the worm, it seemed appropriate to name it after him.”

The researchers’ ultimate goal is to leverage their findings to enhance their understanding of the molecular properties of bioluminescence, which could potentially pave the way for the development of innovative technologies. Jimi explained that the discovery of all three new luminescent worm species has helped to link taxonomic and ecological observations, facilitating research that can be easily applied to the study of other luminescent organisms. By unraveling the mechanisms behind bioluminescence, we can make significant contributions to medical and life science research. Bioluminescence is a vast and captivating field of unique chemistry, and the researchers aim to utilize their findings to explore the molecular nature of this phenomenon and apply this knowledge to create new technologies in the life sciences.

Source: 10.1098/rsos.230039

Image Credit: Naoto Jimi (Nagoya University)

Latest articles

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...

Science Shock: Salmon’s Food Choices Better at Reducing Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Salmon: Rich in Health Benefits, Yet May Offer Less Nutritional Value - This is...

More like this

Here’s How and When Mount Everest-sized ‘Devil Comet’ Can Be Seen With Naked Eye

Mount Everest sized Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "devil comet" which is making its...

Something Fascinating Happened When a Giant Quantum Vortex was Created in Superfluid Helium

Scientists created a giant swirling vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the...

The Science of Middle-aged Brain and the Best Thing You Can Do to Keep it Healthy, Revealed

Middle age: It is an important period in brain aging, characterized by unique biological...