New worm species discovery in the Netherlands

Cirriformia tentaculata in New Zealand

Translated from the Dutch marine biologists of Stichting ANEMOON:

Sunday, October 26, 2014

A new marine worm species, new for the Netherlands, has recently been discovered. Recreational divers found Cirriformia tentaculata in the central Oosterschelde estuary, and published their findings in ‘Het Zeepaardje’, the bimonthly magazine of the Strandwerkgemeenschap. It is not known whether the species has only just appeared on the Dutch coast, or that it had already been present for a long time but had never been discovered before because of its unobtrusive way of life.

Much sea life is hardly visible to the eyes of sport divers. At least 300 species of worms are known from our coastal waters. Many species live hidden in the sand and mud bottoms.

So, probably many worm species in the Netherlands have not been discovered yet.

The origin of annelids: here.