Comprehensive morphological investigations covering the diversity of metazoan lineages are needed to obtain a complete picture of organ system evolution. Despite the increased amount of studies on lesserknown phyla during the last decades, the gap in knowledge for these lineages is still remarkable. This is the case for kinorhynchs, or mud dragons, where only a few genera, mainly belonging to the major clade Cyclorhagida, have undergone detailed morphological examinations. Here, we explore the neuroanatomy and myoanatomy in the other major clade, Allomalorhagida, through studies of Dracoderes abei and Pycnophyes ilyocryptus by immunochemistry, CLSM and computational 3D reconstruction. The current phylogenetic position of Dracoderes as a sister group to all the remaining allomalorhagids makes it a key taxon for understanding the evolution of organ systems within Kinorhyncha. Clear segmental arrangement of muscles and nerves was found in the trunk of D. abei and P. ilyocryptus, excluding modifications observed in the posteriormost segments. When comparing current and previous studies of allomalorhagids and cyclorhagids, the nervous system shows a conserved pattern across kinorhynchs, while the musculature shows significant variation among genera. Segmentation in kinorhynchs is restricted to the trunk, including mesoderm (muscles) and ectoderm derivated structures (nerves and glands). The nervous system shows a segmental arrangement in the first eight trunk segments, whereas the last three segments show some deviating arrangements most likely related to a post-hatching development of these segments.The presence of non-segmental trunk muscles is interpreted as adaptations for increased introvert motility and trunk flexibility.

Aberrant kinorhynchs show several modifications deviating from the typical kinorhynch body plan, including a modified introvert with very elongated and flexible scalids, a weakly developed neck, and a slender trunk with less distinct segmentation. How these aberrant external features are reflected in the inner anatomy and how their aberrant body plan evolved is not understood. Here, we provide a comprehensive and comparative myoanatomical study of three putatively, distant related worm-like species: Cateria styx, Franciscideres kalenesos and Zelinkaderes yong. Despite the weak external segmentation of the trunk, the studied species show a distinct segmental arrangement of the musculature. However, this arrangement is shifted posteriorly with respect to the external segmentation, because the extremely thin and flexible cuticle is lacking the apodeme-like cuticular thickenings (pachycycli) where the longitudinal muscles usually attach. The muscular arrangement in the three species is overall similar, yet, C. styx show most resemblance to the allomalorhagid F. kalenesos, whereas the cyclorhagid Z. yong differs in several ways. This suggests a closer relationship of C. styx to Allomalorhagida. Whereas most kinorhynchs prefer muddy sediments, both the allomalorhagid and cyclorhagid worm-like kinorhynchs are mainly found in sandy environments, suggesting that a flexible, slender body evolved at least twice independently as an adaptation to the interstitial environment.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the giant mud worm Paraleonnates uschakovi (Polychaeta: Nereididae) was determined in this study for the first time. The mitogenome of P. uschakovi is 15,540 bp in length. It has 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a non-coding region. Mitogenome analysis of P. uschakovi showed inversion in the positions of three tRNAs compared to the mitogenome sequences of Perinereis aibuhitensis, P. nuntia and Platynereis dumerilii. The phylogenetic position of P. uschakovi compared to 15 selected polychaetes was investigated. P. uschakovi was grouped into the family of Nereididae. It is closely related to the clade containing Tylorrhynchus heterochaetus and Namalycastis abiuma.

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BackgroundLeeches can transmit pathogens and are therefore potentially hazardous to human and animal health. However, only a few studies of diseases transmitted by land leeches have been reported. The purpose of the present study was to analyse which pathogens are carried in Haemadipsa rjukjuana, the first recorded sanguivorous land leech in the Republic of Korea (ROK).FindingsA total of 173 H. rjukjuana were collected from Mt. Dock-Sil on Gageo-do Island, ROK during July 2011. Conventional PCR was conducted for analysis of the origin of blood meal, as well as for detection of species of Anaplasma, Bartonella, Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Wolbachia in the leech specimens. Bartonella DNA was detected in eight of the specimens studied based on partial ITS sequence analysis. Seven of the DNA samples were closely related to Bartonella grahamii (99.6–100 % similarity), and one sample exhibited a 90.6 % similarity with Bartonella sp. from Taiwan. Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene were generated for a total of 35 of the 173 leech internal organ samples. These included sequences of human (n = 10), mouse (n = 8), weasel (n = 6) and bird (n = 11) origin. Of these 35 sequences, 68.5 % were from mammals, including humans, and 31.4 % were from migratory birds that pass through Gageo-do, ROK.ConclusionsAlthough the present study does not provide evidence that leeches indeed transmit Bartonella species to hosts directly, to our knowledge this is the first report on Bartonella DNA being detected from leeches. Therefore, further studies are needed to explore the possibility of zoonotic pathogen transmission by land leeches.

The present study reviews Perinereis Group 2 species from the Eastern and South-eastern Asian seas based on morphological analysis of the types, non-types and original descriptions, and the use of molecular evidence (COI and 16S rDNA) from newly collected material. These species are characterized by having two bar-shaped paragnaths on pharyngeal area VI, which are often deemed conical when small and pointed, triggering misidentifications as to Neanthes species. New terminology and definition for this particular type of bars are proposed, and the generic position of some resembling Neanthes species is also re-assessed. Five species are transferred to Perinereis: Perinereis babuzai comb. nov., P. belawanensis comb. nov., P. kinmenensis comb. nov., P. shigungensis comb. nov. and P. vitabunda comb. nov. ‘Perinereis aibuhitensis’ species group is newly proposed by encompassing species having proximal dorsal ligule similar throughout the body, dorsal cirri short, and blades of heterogomph falcigers straight with long terminal tooth forming a distinct tendon. Perinereis belawanensis comb. nov., P. linea and P. vitabunda comb. nov. are redescribed. Perinereis linea is regarded as a senior synonym of Nereis (Neanthes) orientalis and Perinereis vancaurica tetradentata based on type material, whereas its exotic status in the Mediterranean Sea is questioned. An identification key to all currently valid species within Perinereis Group 2 is also provided.

IntRoductIonMost polychaete annelids are freeliving, crawling, tubedwelling and burrowing. However, some poly chaetes are closely related with other invertebrates. Polychaete worms and other invertebrates in a commen sal relationship have been studied comprehensively by Paris (1955), Clark (1956), Britayev (1989, Martin andBritayev (1998), andTokaji et al. (2014).More than 292 species are known commensal poly chaetes, of which >55% are polynoid scale worms. These scale worms are closely related with gastropods, echinoids, asteroids, holothuroids, cnidarians, decapods, and even in tube of other polychaetes (Martin and Brita yev, 1998).Two commensal polynoid scale worms, Arctonoe vittata (Grube, 1855) and Hyperhalosydna striata (Kinberg, 1856) were collected for the first time in Korean waters from the East Sea and Jejudo Island, respectively. Arctonoe vittata has a symbiotic relationship with asteroids, holo thuroids, and gastropods. In this study, we identified sym biotic relationship with nudibranchs for the first time. Hyperhalosydna striata is known as both freeliving or associated with eunicid polychaetes (Hanley and Bruke, 1991). Four specimens were collected under the rocks in free living conditions but one specimen was collected in a tube of eunicid polychaete.We provided descriptions, detailed illustrations and ecological photographs of two species based on Korean materials. MateRIals and MethodsSpecimens of present study were collected by SCUBA diving from subtidal zones in the East Sea and Jejudo Island, Korea. Worms were fixed in 80% ethanol imme diately and then transferred to 80% ethanol in the lab oratory. Specimen observation was carried out using a Nikon SMZ 1500 stereomicroscope and a Nikon Eclipse 80i compound microscope with differential interference contrast (DIC) optics. Measurements and sketches were Two scale worms of the family Polynoidae, Arctonoe vittata (Grube, 1855) and Hyperhalosydna striata (Kingberg, 1856) were found for the first time from Korea by SCUBA diving survey. The two species are freeliving organisms or associated commensally with a wide variety of other invertebrates. Specimens of A. vittata were collected from the East Sea and were closely associated with asteroids, holothuroids, gastropods and nudibranchs species. Specimens of H. striata were collected from Jejudo Island, and of these, one specimen was collected in a tube of eunicid species. The two species can be easily distinguished from their congeners by distinct morphological characteristics as follows: (1) A. vittata has pigmented band near segment eight and two kinds of neurochaetae; (2) H. striata has reddishbrown longitudinal striped elytra. The morphological key characteristics of both species agreed well with their original descriptions and redescriptions. In this study, the descriptions, detailed illustrations and ecological photographs of two species based on Korean materials were provided.

Outbreaks of ribbon worms observed in 2013, 2015, and 2017–2019 in the Han River Estuary, South Korea, have caused damage to local glass-eel fisheries. The Han River ribbon worms have been identified as Yininemertespratensis (Sun & Lu, 1998) based on not only morphological characteristics compared with the holotype and paratype specimens, but also DNA sequence comparison with topotypes freshly collected near the Yangtze River mouth, China. Using sequences of six gene markers (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, histone H3, histone H4, 16S rRNA, and COI), the phylogenetic position of Y.pratensis was inferred among other heteronemerteans based on their sequences obtained from public databases. This analysis firmly placed Y.pratensis as a close relative to Apatronemertesalbimaculosa Wilfert & Gibson, 1974, which has been reported from aquarium tanks containing tropical freshwater plants in various parts of the world as well as a wild environment in Panama.