MARINE WORMS WITH LONG LARVAL STAGE FOUND

In their early development, most animals have an adult-like structure. But a recent research has found that some marine worms live with just a little more than a head for months together. This marine worm is known as acorn worm (Schizocardium californicum).

A student of the Hopkins Marine Station of the Stanford University, Paul Gonzalez, and colleagues discovered that this rare worm has a long larval state. This kind of developmental strategy is referred to as indirect development.

This work was published in Current Biology journal. According to it, many marine invertebrates go through this trunk-less stage. This may even widen our knowledge on the biological development of early animals, said Chris Lowe, an associate professor of biology and a senior author of this paper.

Now, this researcher has become a breeder, farmer and hunter of this species of marine worm to better understand the process of indirect development. This study is intended to bridge the gap in our comprehension of how animals develop.

The researchers seek to find out the method by which the body development of this worm gets delayed. They have also started to sequence the genome of Schizocardium californicum. 

Content Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161208125931.htm

Image: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/188405/20161210/rare-marine-worm-larvae-live-for-months-as-basically-swimming-heads.htm