Biology:Balanoglossus gigas

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Short description: Largest known Enteropneust (acorn worm)

Balanoglossus gigas
Balanoglossus gigas.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Hemichordata
Class: Enteropneusta
Order: Enteropneusta
Family: Ptychoderidae
Genus: Balanoglossus
Species:
B. gigas
Binomial name
Balanoglossus gigas
(Müller in Spengel, 1893)[1][2]
Synonyms[1]
  • Balanoglossus biminiensis Willey, 1899
  • Ptychodera gigas Fr. Müller in Spengel, 1893 (basionym)
  • Ptychodera (Tauroglossus) gigas (Fr. Müller in Spengel, 1893)

Balanoglossus gigas is a species of large free-living Enteropneust (acorn worm) found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest acorn worm currently known, and has a strong iodoform-like odour. It is bioluminescent.

Description

Size

Balanoglossus gigas is recorded as growing to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in length, and is thus considered the largest acorn worm currently known.[3][4][5] One specimen from the Brazilian coast was recorded as measuring 1.8 metres in length.[6]

Chemical accumulations

When handled, B. gigas releases thick, sticky mucus with a strong smell of iodoform, which may serve as a deterrent to predators.[7] The odour is caused by 2,6-Dibromophenol, a phenol[8] also reported from crustaceans, where it is the cause of a similar odour.[9][10]

Balanglossus gigas also has accumulation of iodine throughout its body, something reported from no other acorn worm or protochordate. The iodine concentration is highest in the hepatic (liver) region, and lowest in the proboscis.[11][12] Other compounds were also found to be present in accumulations in the body of B. gigas: high concentrations of calcium were found in the skeleton, while phosphate was found in the proboscis, copper in the collar and the skeleton, chloride in the collar and branchial area, iron in the hepatic region, nitrogen in the genital and hepatic regions, and a mix of sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium found at both the front and back of the body.[12]

Bioluminescence

A multipart study in the 1960s assessed the bioluminescence of Balanoglossus biminiensis, since synonymized with B. gigas. The reaction causing bioluminescence incorporates hydrogen peroxide and a luciferin common to balanglossids.[13]

Distribution and habitat

Balanoglossus gigas are found off the coasts of the State of Georgia,[14] Brazil ,[4] Cuba, and in the Gulf of Mexico.[1][15] Like most acorn worms, B. gigas specimens prefer somewhat sheltered habitats with surface layers of fine sand lying above layers of fine to coarse gravel.[7] They live in burrows with thin mucous lining on the sea floor. The burrows typically measure less than 2 cm in width and beyond 2 meters in length.[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Balanoglossus gigas (Müller in Spengel, 1893).". https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=266573. 
  2. ↑ Tassia, Michael G.; Cannon, Johanna T.; Konikoff, Charlotte E.; Shenkar, Noa; Halanych, Kenneth M.; Swalla, Billie J. (2016-10-04). Hejnol, Andreas. ed. "The Global Diversity of Hemichordata" (in en). PLOS ONE 11 (10): e0162564. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0162564. PMID 27701429. Bibcode: 2016PLoSO..1162564T. 
  3. ↑ "Introduction to the Morphology, Phylogenesis, and Systematics of the Lower Deuterostomia" (in en), Chemical Zoology (Elsevier Science) 8, 24 April 2014, ISBN 9780323163347, https://books.google.com/books?id=yrqbZbPHF1oC&dq=Balanoglossus+gigas&pg=PA643 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sawaya, Paulo (5 May 1951). "Balanoglossus gigas Fr. Müller rediscovered on the Brazilian Coast" (in en). Nature 167 (4253): 730–731. doi:10.1038/167730b0. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 14899495. Bibcode: 1951Natur.167R.730S. https://www.nature.com/articles/167730b0. 
  5. ↑ Felder, Darryl L.; Camp, David K. (2009) (in en). Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota: Biodiversity. Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 978-1-60344-269-5. https://books.google.com/books?id=CphA8hiwaFIC&q=gigas. 
  6. ↑ Sawaya, Paulo (Jun 1950). "Re-finding of Balanoglossus gigas FR. MULLER on the brasilian sea shore" (in pt, en). Boletim do Instituto Paulista de Oceanografia: 135–138. doi:10.1590/S0100-42391950000100009. https://www.scielo.br/j/bipoce/a/F3zzVNWkPgKpcsVt3XwNYvB/?format=pdf&lang=pt. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Burdon-Jones, C. (1962). "The Feeding Mechanism of Balanoglossus gigas". Marine Science Laboratories, Univ. Of Wales 24 (24): 255. doi:10.11606/issn.2526-3382.bffclzoologia.1962.120589. https://core.ac.uk/reader/268366110. 
  8. ↑ PubChem. "2,6-Dibromophenol" (in en). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/11847. 
  9. ↑ Ashworth, R. B.; Cormier, M. J. (1967-03-24). "Isolation of 2,6-dibromophenol from the marine hemichordate, Balanoglossus biminiensis". Science 155 (3769): 1558–1559. doi:10.1126/science.155.3769.1558. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 6020478. Bibcode: 1967Sci...155.1558A. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6020478/. 
  10. ↑ Whitfield, Frank B; Last, John H; Shaw, Kevin J; Tindale, C Ross (1988). "2,6-Dibromophenol: The cause of an iodoform-like off-flavour in some Australian crustacea" (in en). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 46 (1): 29–42. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740460104. Bibcode: 1988JSFA...46...29W. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jsfa.2740460104. 
  11. ↑ De Jorge, F. B.; Sawaya, Paulo; Petersen, J. A.; Ditadi, A. S. F. (1965-11-26). "Iodine: Accumulation by Balanoglossus gigas" (in en). Science 150 (3700): 1182–1183. doi:10.1126/science.150.3700.1182. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 17742599. Bibcode: 1965Sci...150.1182D. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.150.3700.1182. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 De Jorge, F. B.; Petersen, J. A.; Sawaya, P. (1967-08-01). "Biochemical studies on the enteropneust Balanoglossus gigas (Fr. Muller, 1898)" (in en). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 22 (2): 467–475. doi:10.1016/0010-406X(67)90609-3. ISSN 0010-406X. PMID 6075145. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0010-406X%2867%2990609-3. 
  13. ↑ Dure, Leon S.; Cormier, Milton J. (February 1963). "Studies on the Bioluminescence of Balanoglossus biminiensis extracts". The Journal of Biological Chemistry 238 (2): 790–793. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(18)81336-9. 
  14. ↑ A. Sydney Johnson, Hilburn O. Hillestad (1974). An Ecological Survey of the Coastal Region of Georgia. http://archive.org/details/sms-3-1974. 
  15. ↑ "Balanoglossus gigas (Müller in Spengel, 1893) - Ocean Biodiversity Information System". https://obis.org/taxon/266573. 

Wikidata ☰ Q2271336 entry



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