About Branchipolynoe longqiensis

Branchipolynoe longqiensis is a species of scale worm in the family Polynoidae, discovered in the Longqi hydrothermal vent field on the Southwest Indian Ridge. This species is distinguished by its biramous parapodia with reduced notopodia, stout notosetae, and branchiae with short terminal filaments. Adapted to extreme hydrothermal vent environments, Branchipolynoe longqiensis contributes to the unique biodiversity of these ecosystems and provides insights into the adaptations of organisms to high-temperature and chemically rich habitats.

Animalia (Kingdom); Annelida (Phylum); Polychaeta (Class); Errantia (Subclass); Phyllodocida (Order); Aphroditiformia (Suborder); Polynoidae (Family); Macellicephalinae (Subfamily); Lepidonotopodini (Tribe); Branchipolynoe (Genus); Branchipolynoe longqiensis (Species)

Branchipolynoe longqiensis Zhou, Zhang, Lu & Wang, 2017

1. Zhou Y, Zhang D, Lu B, et al. Description of a new branchiate scale-worm (Polychaeta: Polynoidae) from the hydrothermal vent on Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge[J]. Zootaxa, 2017, 4282(1): 123-134. (Zhou et al., 2017)
2. He X, Wang H, Xu T, et al. Genomic analysis of a scale worm provides insights into its adaptation to deep-sea hydrothermal vents[J]. Genome Biology and Evolution, 2023, 15(7): evad125. (He et al., 2023)

Body short, slightly tapered anteriorly and posteriorly, flattened ventrally and arched dorsally. 21 segments with 10 pairs of elytra and short elytrophores present on segments 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19. The elytra are moderately large, oval, opaque and smooth, covering the anterior and posterior dorsal ends completely, but leaving the middle of the body just partially covered. Dorsal cirri with short cylindrical cirrophores present on non-elytra-bearing segments; short styles with slender tips, often extending to about tips of neurosetae, but with a few exceptions; Dorsal tubercles on cirrigerous segments indistinct

named 'longqiensis' in reference to the collection site, the “Longqi” vent field on the SW Indian Ocean Ridge

HOV Jiaolong Dive94, Longqi vent field, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, Southern Indian Ocean, 37.7839 S, 49.6502 E, 2761 m. Tiancheng and Wocan hydrothermal vent fields in the Indian Ocean (27.85 S 63.92 E)