CSIC researchers discover three new bone-eating worm species in Spanish waters

Researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have discovered three new species of bone-eating worms, belonging to the genus Osedax, in Spanish waters. The findings, published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, include the species Osedax emmae, Osedax teoi, and Osedax martini.

These marine annelids were identified in the Gulf of Cádiz, the Cantabrian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea at depths ranging from 50 to over 1,200 meters. The worms are highly specialized organisms that colonize the bones of vertebrates on the ocean floor. Notably, they lack a mouth, anus, and intestine; instead, they use root-like structures to penetrate bones, relying on symbiotic bacteria to help degrade and process organic compounds.

The research was conducted by a team from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC).