Phylum: NemerteaTaxonomist: Dr Svetlana MaslakovaMeasuring less than 3 cm long, this remarkably colourful ribbon worm from Timor-Leste belongs to one of 100 new species identified by Dr. Svetlana Maslakova and her team. Its striking pigmentation may serve as a visual warning to predators; a signal of the potent chemical defences common to the phylum Nemertea. Beyond their ecological role as predators, these worms may have biomedical significance; some of their unique toxins have been investigated as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. The discovery of these new species, facilitated by an Ocean Census Species Discovery Award, underscores how even the smallest, most cryptic organisms can hold a key to future scientific and medical breakthroughs. Credit: The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Gustav Paulay
Phylum: NemerteaTaxonomist: Dr Svetlana MaslakovaMeasuring less than 3 cm long, this remarkably colourful ribbon worm from Timor-Leste belongs to one of 100 new species identified by Dr. Svetlana Maslakova and her team. Its striking pigmentation may serve as a visual warning to predators; a signal of the potent chemical defences common to the phylum Nemertea. Beyond their ecological role as predators, these worms may have biomedical significance; some of their unique toxins have been investigated as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. The discovery of these new species, facilitated by an Ocean Census Species Discovery Award, underscores how even the smallest, most cryptic organisms can hold a key to future scientific and medical breakthroughs. Credit: The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Gustav Paulay