In the film, King Ghidorah, a monster notable for its three heads, battled another titan named Godzilla. According to a recent paper published in the journal Organisms Diversity and Evolution, biologists have discovered a new species of marine worm that has one head but a body that can branch out into several ends. The biologists named the new species after the legendary villain.
The new species of branching worm was named after King Ghidorah, a fictional animal that can regenerate its lost ends. The director of the first Ghidorah-centered feature film in 1964 said his monster was a modern take on a legendary eight-headed and eight-tailed dragon.
Two other species of rare branching worms have been discovered, according to the authors. Charles Macintosh reported the discovery of a remarkably branched Syllid in 1879. The creature was found in a glass sea sponge in the Philippines. Syllis ramosa was the first instance of an annelid with a randomly branching asymmetrical body.
The second species of branching marine worm (Ramisyllis multicaudata) was found in the coastal shallows of Darwin, Northern Australia. The second species had a randomly branching asymmetrical body and lived inside the sea sponges. Both reproduce asexually through a process called schizogamy. The worms form segments with buds, which can develop features like eyes and sensory organs. The gametes can detach and swim freely once formed.
There is a new species of sponges on Sado Island in Japan. The team from Japan sent images of the worms to Aguado, who immediately recognized the novelty and organized an expedition to the island to study the creatures.
The first worm was thought to be unique. This discovery shows a higher diversity of these tree-like animals.
The authors combined their expertise to learn more about the new species. Their investigation revealed that both Ramisyllis multicaudata and Ramisyllis kingghidorahi share a common evolutionary ancestor. The shape of certain body segments is one of the genetic divergences.
The authors suggest that both species have the same long asymmetrical body.
Scientists don't yet understand the nature of the relationship between the branching worm and its host sponge, which will be the focus of future research.
Organisms Diversity and Evolution will be published in 2022. There is a book called 10.1007/s13127-021-00538-4.
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