S Ahmed Fahim, NSTU Correspondent
A new species of invertebrate animal (glycerid polychaete) has been discovered by Dr Md. Belal Hossain, Associate Professor of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Science at Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU).
During this research, Pat Hutchings, a scientist of Australian Museum Research Institute accompanied Dr Belal.
This new species has been discovered from the coastal area in Hatia upazila of Noakhali and this new species is named as "Glycera Sheikhmujibi " for memorizing the contribution of the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the independence of Bangladesh and research sector of Bangladesh.
The new species has been included in the world-recognized database ‘Zoobank’ and the research is published in an international journal titled as " Glycera Sheikhmujibi n. sp. (Annelida: Polychaeta: Glyceridae): A New Species of Glyceridae from the Saltmarsh of Bangladesh."
About the new species, Dr Belal said, the species is identified based on morphological characteristics using both a light microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The species is characterized by the presence of three distinct types of proboscideal papillae: type 1 papillae (conical with three transverse ridges), type 2 (conical with a straight, median, longitudinal ridge), and type 3 (round, shorter, and broader, with a straight, median, longitudinal ridge). It has a Y-shaped aileron with gently incised triangular base, almost equal-size digitiform noto- and neuropodial lobes in the mid-body, and long ventral cirri at the posterior end."
Earlier, Belal discovered four other species of aquatic invertebrates-- Nephtys Bangladeshi, Neumania nobiprobia and Arrenums smiti from the coastal area of Bangladesh and Victoriopisa bruneiensis from Brunei.