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![Typical morphology of Namanereis (Nereididae) exemplified by Namanereis littoralis (A,B), compared to the secondary troglomorphic traits in Namanereis beroni (C,D) and Namanereis araps (E,F), including loss of eyes, elongation of antennae, tentacular and parapodial cirri, and increase in length of the terminal blades of the articulated falcigerous chaetae (bar showing relative length). Adapted from Glasby et al. (2014: Figure 7 [25]).](profile/Patrick-Martin-36/publication/349541902/figure/fig4/AS:994624717991938@1614148420796/Typical-morphology-of-Namanereis-Nereididae-exemplified-by-Namanereis-littoralis-A-B.png)
Typical morphology of Namanereis (Nereididae) exemplified by Namanereis littoralis (A,B), compared to the secondary troglomorphic traits in Namanereis beroni (C,D) and Namanereis araps (E,F), including loss of eyes, elongation of antennae, tentacular and parapodial cirri, and increase in length of the terminal blades of the articulated falcigerous chaetae (bar showing relative length). Adapted from Glasby et al. (2014: Figure 7 [25]).
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We review the variety of morphological, physiological and behavioral modifications that annelids have acquired to cope with environments either unsuitable for, or on the limits of, survival for most animals. We focus on polychaetes (excluding sipunculans and echiurans) and clitellates (oligochaetes and leeches) and source information mostly from th...
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... a few lineages are able to colonize and adapt to these inhospitable habitats [99]. Certain polychaete families have adapted to living in the water column of marine/anchialine caves, including the normally benthic Protodrilidae, Nerillidae, and Scalibregmatidae [100][101][102], while others live benthically and have secondary troglomorphic traits such as loss of eyes, pigmentation, and elongation of the sensory appendages [103]; Figure 4A-F. Marifugia cavatica (Serpulidae) is eyeless and lacks pigmentation, and is also considered to be a Tertiary relict of marine origin (Table 1) [104]; Figure 5B. ...
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Changes in salinity is a stressful and energy-consuming process in fish which give rise to mortalities, especially in fish fingerlings that are more sensitive during the early stages of their life. In the present study, the effects of three salinities, 3‰ (downstream of river), 8‰ (estuarine), and 13‰ (the maximum salinity in the Caspian Sea), on H...
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... In benthos, polychaetes are one of the largest groups with more than 80 families and play a crucial role in an ecosystem for evaluating ecological state of that particular environment (Bandekar et al., 2017;Pamungkas et al., 2019). Polychaetes have several specialised body characters to withstand the special environment including external gills, hard jaws, and elongated sensory appendages etc., (Glasby et al., 2021). The diversity and abundance of some polychaetes can vary based on the soil conditions in the area, which can aid in the assessment of environmental quality (Ghaffar et al., 2018). ...
... Estuarine animals experience environmental fluctuations daily and seasonally including variations in water salinity (Rivera-Ingraham & Lignot, 2017;Sundell et al., 2019). Marine-derived invertebrates have developed osmoregulation systems and unique reproduction strategies to protect embryos and larvae from osmotic stress, such as seaward migrations during spawning seasons, the emergence of direct development, brooding inside the adult body or tube, and encapsulation in a gelatinous mass (Glasby et al., 2021;Kuo, 2017;McNamara & Freire, 2022). Among these species are ribbon worms (phylum Nemertea), nonsegmented, soft-bodied lophotrochozoan (Bleidorn, 2019), which predominantly comprise marine benthic species, a few brackish, freshwater, and terrestrial species (Sundberg & Gibson, 2008). ...
... Considering the anoxic habitat of the species, the hypertrophied ciliary dorsal crest, and parapodial lobes, are probably an adaptation to this environment. Similar correlation was established for some species of Nereididae and Opheliidae living in anoxic conditions (Glasby et al. 2021). The shape of thoracic neuropodial lobes differs significantly in both species. ...
... n., neuropodial lobes are enlarged, markedly flat, and folded with irregular boundaries. This may also be an adaptation to increase the surface area for oxygen uptake, such as in other polychaetes (Hartman 1951;Nonato et al. 1986;Radashevsky & Lana 2009;Glasby et al. 2021). ...
... We suggest that subdivision of the parapodial lobes is characteristic for the specimens from muddy sediments with possibly reduced oxygen levels. According to Glasby et al. (2021), parapodial modifications may represent an adaptation to increasing surface area for oxygen uptake in anoxic environments. ...
We performed a comparative study of the specimens from the Naineris setosa complex from the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans and re-described the syntype of N. setosa, including the selection of the lectotype. Molecular phylogenetic and species delimitation analyses based on two mitochondrial (COI and 16S) and one nuclear (28S) marker revealed the presence of three species. One clade with wide Amphi-Atlantic distribution was attributed as Naineris setosa s. str. The second Atlantic clade restricted to Southern and Southeastern Brazil was described as a new species, Naineris lanai sp. n. The third clade, reported from the Northwestern Pacific, was identified as a new species but was not formally described due to the presence of only juvenile-sized worms in the studied material. Detailed morphological descriptions of several diagnostic characters in the Naineris setosa complex are provided.
... Furthermore, an urgency exists in understanding how marine animals (both adult and larval forms) process and adapt to thermal cues in face of rising ocean temperatures. Examples include settlement behaviour of starfish [19] and coral larvae [20], adaptation strategies of annelids in extreme temperatures [21], and worms that thrive near hydrothermal vents [22]. ...
Neuronal circuits are hallmarks of complex decision-making processes in the animal world. How animals without neurons process information and respond to environmental cues promises a new window into studying precursors of neuronal control and origin of the nervous system as we know it today. Robust decision making in animals, such as in chemotaxis or thermotaxis, often requires internal symmetry breaking (such as anterior–posterior (AP) axis) provided naturally by a given body plan of an animal. Here we report the discovery of robust thermotaxis behaviour in Trichoplax adhaerens, an early-divergent, enigmatic animal with no anterior–posterior symmetry breaking (apolar) and no known neurons or muscles. We present a quantitative and robust behavioural response assay in Placozoa, which presents an apolar flat geometry. By exposing T. adhaerens to a thermal gradient under a long-term imaging set-up, we observe robust thermotaxis that occurs over timescale of hours, independent of any circadian rhythms. We quantify that T. adhaerens can detect thermal gradients of at least 0.1°C cm⁻¹. Positive thermotaxis is observed for a range of baseline temperatures from 17°C to 22.5°C, and distributions of momentary speeds for both thermotaxis and control conditions are well described by single exponential fits. Interestingly, the organism does not maintain a fixed orientation while performing thermotaxis. Using natural diversity in size of adult organisms (100 µm to a few millimetres), we find no apparent size-dependence in thermotaxis behaviour across an order of magnitude of organism size. Several transient receptor potential (TRP) family homologues have been previously reported to be conserved in metazoans, including in T. adhaerens. We discover naringenin, a known TRPM3 antagonist, inhibits thermotaxis in T. adhaerens. The discovery of robust thermotaxis in T. adhaerens provides a tractable handle to interrogate information processing in a brainless animal. Understanding how divergent marine animals process thermal cues is also critical due to rapid temperature rise in our oceans.
... Annelida is a phylum of over 25,000 species of segmented worms that are found worldwide in various environments (Fig. 1;WoRMS, 2022;Glasby & Timm, 2008;Aguado et al., 2014;Glasby, Erséus & Martin, 2021). They can reproduce both sexually and asexually and exhibit high regeneration potential, including the restoration of germ cells, cell repair, regrowth of body parts, and whole-body regeneration (Hyman, 1940;Berrill, 1952;Herlant-Meewis, 1964;Bely, 2006Bely, , 2014Dannenberg & Seaver, 2018;Zattara, 2020;Kostyuchenko & Kozin, 2021). ...
Aquatic invertebrates play a pivotal role in (eco)toxicological assessments because they offer ethical, cost-effective and repeatable testing options. Additionally, their significance in the food chain and their ability to represent diverse aquatic ecosystems make them valuable subjects for (eco)toxicological studies. To ensure consistency and comparability across studies, international (eco)toxicology guidelines have been used to establish standardised methods and protocols for data collection, analysis and interpretation. However, the current standardised protocols primarily focus on a limited number of aquatic invertebrate species, mainly from Arthropoda, Mollusca and Annelida. These protocols are suitable for basic toxicity screening, effectively assessing the immediate and severe effects of toxic substances on organisms. For more comprehensive and ecologically relevant assessments, particularly those addressing long-term effects and ecosystem-wide impacts, we recommended the use of a broader diversity of species, since the present choice of taxa exacerbates the limited scope of basic ecotoxicological studies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of (eco)toxicological studies, focusing on major aquatic invertebrate taxa and how they are used to assess the impact of chemicals in diverse aquatic environments. The present work supports the use of a broad-taxa approach in basic environmental assessments, as it better represents the natural populations inhabiting various ecosystems. Advances in omics and other biochemical and computational techniques make the broad-taxa approach more feasible, enabling mechanistic studies on non-model organisms. By combining these approaches with in vitro techniques together with the broad-taxa approach, researchers can gain insights into less-explored impacts of pollution, such as changes in population diversity, the development of tolerance and transgenerational inheritance of pollution responses, the impact on organism phenotypic plasticity, biological invasion outcomes, social behaviour changes, metabolome changes, regeneration phenomena, disease susceptibility and tissue pathologies. This review also emphasises the need for harmonised data-reporting standards and minimum annotation checklists to ensure that research results are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR), maximising the use and reusability of data. The ultimate goal is to encourage integrated and holistic problem-focused collaboration between diverse scientific disciplines, international standardisation organisations and decision-making bodies, with a focus on transdisciplinary knowledge co-production for the One-Health approach.
... Annelida is a phylum of over 25,000 species of segmented worms that are found worldwide in various environments (Fig. 1;WoRMS, 2022;Glasby & Timm, 2008;Aguado et al., 2014;Glasby, Erséus & Martin, 2021). They can reproduce both sexually and asexually and exhibit high regeneration potential, including the restoration of germ cells, cell repair, regrowth of body parts, and whole-body regeneration (Hyman, 1940;Berrill, 1952;Herlant-Meewis, 1964;Bely, 2006Bely, , 2014Dannenberg & Seaver, 2018;Zattara, 2020;Kostyuchenko & Kozin, 2021). ...
... It is difficult to identify morphological traits that can be considered stygomorphic for aquatic oligochaetes. their elongated, flexible body form is a clear adaptation to interstitial life (regardless of depth) (Creuzé des Châtelliers et al., 2009, Glasby et al., 2021 and other common subterranean adaptations (absence of pigmentation and eyes) are the general rule in these animals. the unusually elongated ventral chaetae of T. comalensis (absent from shallow benthic samples in this study) have rarely been described in lumbriculid oligochaetes. ...
... Dorsal chaetae have particularly elongated, hairlike distal ends in the hyporheic Stylodrilus wahkeenensis Rodriguez & Coates 1996. Elongation of sensory appendages has been associated with other invertebrates in subterranean habitats, including some annelids (Glasby et al. 2021). provide additional examples of unusual chaetal modifications in lumbriculids in interstitial/hyporheic habitats; this includes dorsal chaetae smaller than ventral ones in some Trichodrilus species. ...
... Sambugar et al. (1999 suggested that elongation or asymmetrical placement of spermathecae in interstitial Phallodrilinae and in the lumbriculid Trichodrilus cernosvitovi Hrabĕ, 1937 may be related to a reduction in body diameter in the gonadal body region. The function of the middorsal glands in the tail segments is unknown, although similar glands in the hyporheic Trichodrilus angelieri , as well as in the marine interstitial Marionina glandulifera (jansson, 1960) were suggested to be adhesive glands (Coates 1983, although adhesive glands are more commonly associated with annelids in unstable habitats (Glasby et al. 2021). ...
Recent hyporheic, crenal and phreatic groundwater collections suggest a rich oligochaete fauna associated with the Edwards and Edwards-Trinity Aquifers in central Texas, including many species in the family Lumbriculidae. Based on limited invertebrate collections from earlier sampling programs, four sites were selected for more intensive oligochaete sampling. The lumbriculid Eclipidrilus palustris (Smith, 1900) is widespread in cleaner, cooler waters of the southeastern USA, and was common in crenal habitats. However, several lumbriculid species appear to be new and endemic, four of which are described here. Two of these can be assigned to the genus Eremidrilus Fend & Rodriguez, 2003 based on semiprosoporous male ducts with male pores in X, spermathecae in XI, and a filiform proboscis. Eremidrilus samacos n. sp. has typical morphology for the genus; E. parvitheca n. sp. (provisionally assigned to the genus) has duct-like spermathecae that join the gut, and unusual dorsal glands in posterior segments. Two morphotypes are assigned to E. parvitheca, based on spermathecal location in XI (typical) or XII (variant). A third species (Trichodrilus comalensis n. sp.) lacks a proboscis and has unusually elongated ventral chaetae. A problematic fourth species (Pararhynchelmis texana n. sp.) has semiprosoporous atria in X and duct-like spermathecae joining the gut in VIII. As it lacks apomorphies previously proposed for Rhynchelmis Hoffmeister, 1843 and Pseudorhynchelmis Hrabě, 1982, it is provisionally assigned to Pararhynchelmis Fend & Lenat, 2010.
... Infauna often respond relatively quickly to increased contaminant levels and other habitat changes, can be sampled quantitatively, have diverse and measurable responses to environmental stressors, and provide spatial information on habitat quality and anthropogenic impacts (Pearson and Rosenberg 1978;Hartley 1982). So-called 'sensitive' infaunal species tend to decline in abundance or disappear in response to even relatively small increases in stressor levels (Ellis et al. 2017), while 'opportunistic' species are more tolerant and tend to be small, rapidly maturing, and highly fecund (many are polychaetes; Glasby et al. 2021). As stressors increase, communities can become dominated by opportunists, sometimes in very high abundances (Grassle and Grassle 1974;Ward and Hutchings 1996). ...
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Infaunal invertebrate communities of coastal marine sediments are often impacted by human activities, particularly in harbours and estuaries. However, while many studies have attempted to identify the key factors affecting benthic infauna, few have done so for highly energetic tidal estuaries. Samples were collected over a decade (2011-2020) from a series of reference sites in Saint John Harbour (45.25° N, 66.05° W), a highly tidal estuary in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. These data were used to examine spatial and temporal trends in infaunal invertebrate communities and sediment properties and to determine the extent to which the biological patterns were driven by measured physical and chemical variables. There were substantial differences among sites in infaunal invertebrate abundance (median ranging from 688 to 13,700 individuals per square meter), infaunal species richness (median ranging from 8 to 22), and Shannon diversity (median ranging from 1.26 to 2.34); multivariate analysis also revealed variation in species composition among sites. Sediment contaminant concentrations also varied among sites, but differences tended to be smaller (e.g. median chromium concentrations ranging from 21.6 to 27.6 mg/kg). Sample contaminant concentrations were all below probable effect levels, and almost all below threshold effect levels (Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines), but relationships with biological data were still detectable. However, physical variables (depth, sediment characteristics) were better predictors of biological variables and community composition. These results confirm the importance of physical factors in shaping infaunal communities in soft-sediment habitats in tidally influenced coastal waters.
Supplementary information:
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12237-023-01222-w.
... To cope with high temperatures, Pompeii worms have evolved adaptations that include a stable glycoprotein matrix and a protective tube/cocoon made of positively and negatively twisted polymer layers containing elemental sulfur, a number of heat shock proteins, and stress oxidative enzymes. These worms remain stable and active at temperatures above 50 °C [23] and the tubes insulate the worms from high temperatures [24,25]. ...
... Tubes insulate worms from high temperatures [24,25]. Pompeii worms have developed adaptations to cope with high temperatures, including a glycoprotein matrix and a series of heat shock proteins in tubes made of positively and negatively twisted polymer layers containing elemental sulfur, and stress oxidative enzymes that remain stable and active at temperatures above 50 °C [23]. ...
Nanosatellites are exposed to extreme temperatures on the spacecraft surface, which can reach up to ±100 °C. In this paper, we suggest a novel solution to this challenge by the use of biomimicry. The imitation of the behavior of living creatures in nature is an attempt to understand and synthesize a natural object or phenomenon in an abstract or concrete form. This inspiration from living things in nature can come through the materials, processes, or designs we see around us, and there is no engineering effort involved. In nature, the best example of temperature reversal is the Pompeii worm. The Pompeii worm realizes the conversion of the excess heat it is exposed to into cooling inside a multilayered tube. In this work, inspired by the strategy of the Pompeii worm in reversing overheating, we present a new model for the overheating problem in nanosatellites.
... To cope with high temperatures, Pompeii worms have evolved adaptations that include a stable glycoprotein matrix and a protective tube/cocoon made of positively and negatively twisted polymer layers containing elemental sulfur, a number of heat shock proteins, and stress oxidative enzymes. These worms remain stable and active at temperatures above 50 °C [23] and the tubes insulate the worms from high temperatures [24,25]. ...
... Tubes insulate worms from high temperatures [24,25]. Pompeii worms have developed adaptations to cope with high temperatures, including a glycoprotein matrix and a series of heat shock proteins in tubes made of positively and negatively twisted polymer layers containing elemental sulfur, and stress oxidative enzymes that remain stable and active at temperatures above 50 °C [23]. ...
Nanosatellites are exposed to extreme temperatures on the spacecraft surface, which can reach up to
±100 °C. In this paper, we suggest a novel solution to this challenge by the use of biomimicry. The imitation
of the behavior of living creatures in nature is an attempt to understand and synthesize a natural object
or phenomenon in an abstract or concrete form. This inspiration from living things in nature can come
through the materials, processes, or designs we see around us, and there is no engineering effort involved.
In nature, the best example of temperature reversal is the Pompeii worm. The Pompeii worm realizes
the conversion of the excess heat it is exposed to into cooling inside a multilayered tube. In this work,
inspired by the strategy of the Pompeii worm in reversing overheating, we present a new model for the
overheating problem in nanosatellites.
